


Lost

by orphan_account



Series: Fall [2]
Category: BLACKPINK (Band), EXO (Band), GOT7, LaVie - Fandom, SEVENTEEN (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Band Fic, Best Friends, Bitchslapping, Canon Compliant, Dancer Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Dancing, Ego, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Girl Band, Humor, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Inspired by Music, Jeon Jungkook Is Bad at Feelings, Kim Namjoon | RM Is So Done, Kim Seokjin | Jin Being a Mom, Kim Taehyung | V Is a Sweetheart, M/M, Music, Musicians, Park Jimin Is Whipped, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Soulmates, Protective Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Sassy Jin, Self-Esteem Issues, Soft Min Yoongi | Suga, Starvation, Strangers to Lovers, Suggestive Themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-05-01 04:09:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 23,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14512239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Book 2 of the Fall Series: In which the gang are back together. Angst, tension, and banter galore.Featuring:Cracky humour, at least four asses that just won't quit, Yoongi being a soft man, Lex losing her mind twice, incredibly beautiful humans, incredibly dumb humans, great music, pining, and terrible, terrible wingmen/women.And two stray cats.USB BROKE SO MAY NOT CONTINUE





	1. Chapter 1

“No – I swear! He really did! _Sonyeon, geuneun geugeos-eul sido!_ ” Val paused, listening to the person on the other end of the line. “I told him no of course… I’m a classy gal, Jin.” She took a sip of her coffee, eyebrows raising. “ _Jeongmal?_ She would…” She cast an eye out to the backyard of their small townhouse. Through the sliding glass doors she could see Lex’s form – face down in the grass, not moving. “Hmm? Yeah, the others are good – Lex is still stressing…” she hummed as Jin said something in Korean she couldn’t follow. “Sorry, repeat once more for me, darling… oh – yeah. As we speak, she’s having a breakdown – yeah, a _muneo tteulida.”_ She mimicked hesitantly. _Birdie was better at speaking Korean than she was… but Birdie actually practised in her spare time as well._

“I’ll tell her. Thank you, Jin.” She blew a kiss into the phone. “ _Annyeong_! I’ll speak to you soon.” She hung up, and stood from her seat at the dining room table, making her way outside. She eyed the discarded notebook, and several snapped pencils.

_“Lex?”_

Lex groaned at the call of her name, pressing her face harder into the grass.

A foot nudged her side. “Come on. You have to get up.”

Lex shook her head. “No, actually. I think I might just stay here until next year.”

“Well then you won’t get to hear what Jin had to say.”

Lex scowled. “All you guys do is chat like old fish wives, I swear. You guys are worse than any gossip magazine.”

Val sighed, and Lex felt her sit down, leaning against her slightly. “Jin says Yoongi is in a writing funk as well – and… he suggested that you guys try and collaborate, run some stuff past each other, try out something different.”

Lex turned her head, cracking open one eye. “Yoon is stuck?” she asked. If Min Yoongi, music maestro extraordinaire got stuck – and still produced hit after hit, then maybe she had a chance.

Val was smiling, looking ethereal in a white sweater against the blue sky. Lex was suddenly struck with how gross she must have looked, in her three-day-old clothes with unwashed hair and heavy bags under her eyes.  “You should call him.”

“Hmmm…” Lex shoved her face back into the grass.

Should she call Yoongi?

She hadn’t expected to keep talking to the boys the way she had – granted, her line of communication was limited to the occasional text – nothing like the skype calls from Birdie and Sophia, or the continual email chain from Gigi, or the bi-weekly phone calls from Val, who was slowly but surely racking up a small fortune in phone bills. She’d have to switch to a different plan soon if she wanted to be able to afford rent.

“Call him, baby.” Val patted her head gently, and stood. “I’m inviting the girls and families over for dinner tonight, so you need to have a shower.”

Lex groaned again.

 

* * *

 

“Ah, you little fucker.” Birdie swore violently into the headset she was wearing as her robot avatar collapsed in a pile of sparks. “Sorry, Tae, we gotta restart.”

“ _How did you die just then? Are you stupid?”_ Her friend’s accented voice spewed forth loudly into the head set she was wearing.

“Hey, listen, brat – I didn’t say anything when it took you five tries to get past level 13. Even though I had been finished.” She responded – watching the Portal 2 level screen restart.

“ _Yes you did!”_ Tae launched into a loud rant in Korean, which she only caught a few words of; _liar, dishonour, shit, helping…_

“Alright! _Sesang-e!”_ Birdie and Tae quickly ran through the level again – coming up to the point where Birdie had died last time, and working slowly through it. Her phone started ringing beside her, and she quickly accepted the call and put it on speaker. “Hello?”

“ _Hey, B.”_

It was Val. “Hey, stranger! How have you been?”

“ _Who is it?”_ Tae asked curiously.

“Val-” she replied shortly, “Val, Tae’s in my other ear.”

“ _Tell him I say hi.”_

“Val says hi.”

“ _Hello, Valerie!”_

Birdie winced at his volume, and waited for Val to keep speaking. Sure enough; “I’m getting everyone together at home tonight. Your father will be joining us, as well as my parents, Soph and Sebastian will be there too, and I’ve invited Harry and Gigi – and the Great-Greys will also be putting in an appearance.”

“It’s been a while since we had a family dinner. Been a while since we’ve even _had_ a dinner.” Birdie said, semi-accusatory.

Val sighed. “ _Lex has been in a funk since Christmas, you know that. I’m forcing company on her_.”

Birdie groaned. “If she would stop being such a control freak about the album and let us help her…”

“ _What?”_ Tae chimed in curiously.

“Lex is trying to single handedly write an album. She’s going crazy.” Birdie grimaced to herself. “I mean, I can’t really write music – but I’m sure I could do _something_.”

“ _She should speak to Yoongi-hyung. Or Namjoon.”_ Tae suggested.

“Good idea.” She relayed the suggestion to Val.

“ _Jin already told me to do that. I told her to before._ ” Val’s voice took on a tone of long suffering. “ _It’ll be a miracle if I can even convince her to have shower. She’s been surviving on coffee, cigarettes and no sleep for the past three days – I think it’s giving me grey hair from stress.”_

“Shall I come round earlier to help you cook?” Birdie asked, pausing the game as they finished another level, Tae crowing joyfully.

“ _It’s alright, lovely. The Greys will help.”_

“God bless the Great Greys.” Birdie said, closing her eyes and smiling at the thought of Lex’s grandmother’s cooking with her grandfather’s fresh produce. “I’ll be over a bit later. Just let me text my dad and see when he’ll be coming.”

“ _Sure. Tell Tae goodbye. I’ll see you later.”_ Val hung up with a click.

“Val’s gone now. But I gotta go too.”

“ _Already?”_ She could practically see his pout.

“Sorry! But I’m going to dinner.” She stood, exiting the game. “Talk to you soon?”

“ _Yeah! Bye-bye!”_


	2. 2

Gigi closed her eyes as Harry’s hand clapped down heavily on her shoulder. The tall brunet with bright blue eyes and faint stubble was taller than her by a foot and a bit.

“Are you wearing that tonight?” he asked, and she opened her eyes to look at them in the mirror. The sweater dress she was wearing was comfortable, an olive green that brought out her eyes – but as his fingers plucked at the fabric that was clinging slightly to her hips, she began to see what was wrong with it. “I thought you were still on that diet.” He said quietly, blue eyes scanning her figure.

“I- I am.” She said. “I’ve lost five pounds.” But as he scanned her figure again, she realised that she couldn’t see it. “I should change.” She mumbled, hating how the dress displayed her stomach and thighs.

“You should.” He bent down to press a kiss to her head. “Love you.”

“I love you too.” She said listlessly as he left the bed room. She stripped the dress from herself, and turned so that she could see the faint stretch marks marring her brown skin. Her thighs and butt were still too big – and even though the scale had said she had lost the weight, her waist still looked as thick as it always had. _Fat._

Hot tears of frustration burned her eyes as she turned away from her reflection, and into her wardrobe, trying to find something to wear.

* * *

 

Lex emerged from her forty-minute shower just as her grandparents arrived.

Grace Grey and James Grey had raised Lex from when she had been ten years old. They were her grandparents, but had raised her like a daughter, and had been her number one supporter throughout her whole life. The original ‘stage-hands’, for their first few concerts had been the ‘Great Greys,’ as they were affectionately known.

“Hey, ma.” Lex said, falling into the silver haired woman’s arms.

“You’re getting so skinny, Alexis!” Grace pulled back from her granddaughter, and examined her. “Are you eating?”

“Yes, Ma.” Lex rolled her eyes fondly at the woman, and turned to her grandfather. “How are you, Pa?”

“Better now that I’m here.” He said, patting her back as they embraced. “You look lovely darling.” Lex looked down at her all black outfit, grimacing.

“Maybe I should put on something different.”

“It’s fine, Lex.” Val emerged from the kitchen, and smiled at the couple standing next to Lex. “Hello, Ma! Pa!”

They embraced her together. “Oh, Valerie you get more stunning every time I see you, darling!” Grace kissed her cheek. “I hope Lex isn’t causing you too much trouble.”

Val laughed, shooting Lex a superior look. “Oh, I make do.”

“Hey!” Lex said indignantly. “They’re here for three minutes, and you’re already ganging up on me? I need a drink.” She left for the living room, and the mini-bar they had set up in there.

“Come on in, please, I need your help!” Val ushered the Greys into the kitchen, chatting away happily.

* * *

 

Sophia met up with her brother outside Lex and Val’s townhouse.

Sebastian Martinez shot her a grin, handsome face creasing into a familiar smile. “Hermanita.” _Little sister._ He opened his arms, and she bounded into them, letting him spin them around. With their parents still in Spain, Sebastian was her only family in the states, and even then, they didn’t get to see each other much – simply because he lived with his fiancée across town, and Sophia was usually busy with LaVie. But they made sure to call as much as possible, and he would always go to any important concerts, no matter what.

“Cómo está Stefan?” _How’s Stefan?_ She asked after his fiancée.

He grimaced, “He said to say sorry he couldn’t make it tonight – he couldn’t get off work.”

“Oh that’s a shame. He’ll be missed.” Sophia grinned, and linked her arm with his. “You’ll have to tell me all about what _madre_ said about the wedding plans.”

Sebastian mock shuddered, holding a hand over his heart. “From her reaction, I was almost tempted just to call off the whole thing.” Sophia laughed merrily, picturing her mother’s face at the proposition of Sebastian having a winter themed wedding, in _America,_ no less. Her mother was still getting over Sebastian’s sexuality, and the thought of him not even coming home was a nightmare for their mother.

* * *

 

Birdie arrived with her father the same time Val’s parents pulled up at the curb. Richard ‘Richie’ Silva looked like he had been a farmer in a past life – a squat man built like a brick, with heavily callused hands and a square, heavyset face with unremarkable features. His wife, Alice Silva, however, looked as beautiful now as she had done in her modelling days – long limbed and slim, nearly a head taller than her husband, with long dark red hair, and glimmering grey eyes. There was no question where Valerie had gotten her looks from – and no question where she had gotten her passion from. If there was one thing Alice Silva loved more than her own reflection it was her husband and daughter. When Richard Silva had rose to fame in New York’s upper society, building his brand and fortune with his own two hands – there had been talk of gold-digging when he had first stepped out with Alice – but to this day, the intense love between them was obvious to all.

Birdie envied Valerie sometimes – her perfect upbringing, perfect looks, perfect family. The fortune she was set to inherit when her parents died didn’t help either. But of course, Val was perfectly quiet about it – her only negative trait her ego, which she used to comedic effect – so Birdie couldn’t fault her for it.

Birdie too looked like her mother, her father a chubby business man with a handsome smile, and a sweet temperament. John King had been young when he had married her mother – and had taken Birdie away because it had been the right thing to do. He was all about doing ‘the right thing’. Self-sacrificing bugger.

As the two families greeted each other, Birdie’s phone buzzed with a message from Gigi – telling her that she and Harry would be late. She frowned at the message, but responded with an acknowledgement as she walked inside.

* * *

 

Val and her mother were exactly alike when they were drunk too – meaning that they got very giggling and very flirty and handsy. That, coupled with the rest of the rooms chatter was giving Lex a head ache.

Lex swatted away Val’s arms from around her waist. “I need to go to the bathroom.”

“I’ll miss you, Lex.” The red head blew her a kiss as she swirled away to hang off Gigi instead, who had been sitting quietly as Harry talked with Sebastian and Birdie’s father.

Lex hadn’t missed the gaunt look to Gigi’s cheeks, nor had she missed the way her sweater was hanging off her frame more than it should. But she had no idea how to even begin to broach the subject with her.

It had been a good night – and Lex begrudgingly admitted that Val had been right when she had said Lex needed company and family.

As she washed her hands, and examined her reflection – noting the way the circles under her eyes were still visible through the concealer – she made a decision. It was 9:00 for them in New York – and she did the conversion automatically. Around 11 in the morning for them.

She pulled out her phone and composed a message.


	3. 3

Yoongi was roused from his sleep by his phone going off right next to his ear. He was still holding it from when he fallen asleep scrolling though twitter the night before.

He blinked blearily, looking first at the time; 11:35 am – and then the message.

**_Lex_ ** _: Hey Yoongi – I was wondering if you had time later today to help me out with some music stuff. Just shoot me a text when you’re free to call._

He read it through again, just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Jin and Tae had both told him that Lex had been struggling with writing, like he had been recently – but he had never expected her to reach out. In LA, they’d chatted about music a bit, and he had listened to more of LaVie’s music since they’d separated, and had appreciated the melodies she wrote.

_Maybe it would be a good idea to talk – we could try and break the other’s writing block._

He messaged her back, still unused to typing in English – despite Birdie’s constant messages.

**_I’ll b free a little later – we can skype?_ **

 “Are you up yet, hyung?” Namjoon poked his head into the dorm room, and peering at Yoongi over his glasses. With his hair unstyled like that, and in that oversized sweater, Yoongi thought his friend looked very young. “Who are you texting?” Yoongi’s phone had gone off again as Namjoon watched.

**_Lex:_ ** _That would be awesome_ _J  I’ll talk to you soon._

“Um…” he was distracted by her emoji use for a second – before he refocussed his tired mind enough to respond to Namjoon. “Lex.”

“She’s texting you?” He asked, and Yoongi would have had to have been deaf to miss the hurt tone in his voice.

“We’re skyping later.” Yoongi added, just to see what would happen. Namjoon’s face drooped.

“Oh.” He said looking anywhere but at Yoongi.

Yoongi pitied the man, and his open emotions. He would have to get better at hiding his hopeless crush on the woman – even if he himself believed he didn’t like her – all of his moping when the other members got responses and he didn’t made it obvious. Yoongi knew for certain that he had experienced a first, as Lex had actually messaged him first.

“You’re welcome to join. We’re trying to get some music done.” Yoongi threw the covers back, groaning as he sat up.

“Oh!” Namjoon’s voice was distinctly happier, and Yoongi caught a glimpse of his dimple as he nodded. “Yeah. I will – I mean, I’ll see if I’m free, or whatever. Hah. Okay. Cool. I’ll see you down there.” The silver haired man made his retreat clumsily, leaving Yoongi to praise whoever had given him the ability to not have crushes. Work and music would always be his number one love.

* * *

 

“I’m so far down the fucking rabbit hole – I had the weirdest idea last night to give some of your sound a go and try and produce a hip-hop styled track.” Lex pulled a face at herself, but was surprised when Yoongi just hummed thoughtfully, and sat back, looking considering. Through the screen, he was in the same amount of darkness she was, despite the fact it was a sunny afternoon in Korea, and approaching midnight in New York. “What?”

“ _Well… there’s no harm in giving it a go_.” He said slowly, slightly pixelated form freezing for a split second.

“Oh my god!” Lex laughed. “You cannot be serious. I don’t even know if any of us can rap.”

_“Birdie has good flow, and interesting diction with her accent. I was listening to Look Again, and the second last bridge she sings is fast – but she keeps up well. In the limo, she also rapped that Nicki Minaj verse near perfectly.”_

“Birdie… a rapper?”

“ _It doesn’t have to be a ‘rap song’, like Cypher or something – but I’m pretty sure you guys have the ability to go heavier. More bass, less dreamy.”_

“Hmmm…” Lex closed her eyes, still just trying to envision Birdie rapping. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

“ _I have something I can send you actually!”_ Yoongi’s face was growing more and more excited by the minute. “ _I have a basic backing beat, and I put constant indicators where the inflictions need to be for verses and lines, but no lyrics yet. I can send it through, and you can try it out. Give everyone a go.”_

“Well, if you think-”

“ _Oh! Definitely – I mean, your sound is great, it’s your sound, but for the album you’re going to need more variety to bring a bigger crowd in.”_ Yoongi leant forwards, clicking away, and a second later – her email notification sounded. A knock on the door on his end caught both of their attentions. The sudden light made her squint at the screen, and Yoongi hiss. “ _Namjoon!”_

Lex felt a guilty flutter in her stomach. Namjoon’s broad frame filled the screen for a second, black and yellow stripes of his sweater all she could see, before he took the seat next to Yoongi. “ _Hey guys_.” He greeted.

Yoongi muttered something in Korean, and Lex just managed a smile, hoping Namjoon couldn’t see how washed out she looked in the harsh light of the computer screen, or how grossly tired she looked. “Hi, Namjoon.” She said.

“ _What are we up to?”_ He asked cheerfully.

“ _I’m steering Lex towards some harder stuff than the soft-melody electro pop.”_

“And I was about to tell you to do some ‘soft-melody electro pop.’” Lex retorted. “Try something with harder vocals, and with less backing track and big drop. I _know_ that’s what your fans want.”

“ _We’re a hip-hop group!”_ Yoongi argued, screwing up his nose as he scowled.

“And we’re a ballad group.” Lex snapped back. “We’re here to try new stuff, right?”

Yoongi just huffed, leaving Namjoon awkwardly scratching his nose and shoving up his glasses. Lex refocussed on them, realising how sweet he looked. “Nice glasses, Namjoon.”

“ _Oh – shit, yeah.”_ He shook his head, smiling embarrassedly, and taking them off, making to put them away.

“No – I like them.” Lex protested, realising after she had said it, Yoongi raising an eyebrow at her, how quickly and loudly she had spoken. Namjoon froze, a small smile growing on his face – and put them back on.

“ _Um, thanks.”_ He said.

Yoongi coughed slightly, and Lex shook her head slightly. _She was just overtired, that was all._ “Yoongi, if you’re sending me a demo – let me send you something too. It’ll be way out of key for you guys, and probably needs some work in terms of splitting up the chorus and verses, but I think it’s a direction you should look at.”

She stifled a yawn.

Namjoon frowned. “ _It’s late for you, isn’t it_?”

“Well… early now.” She chuckled at herself.

“ _We should let you sleep.”_ Namjoon said, voice and face concerned. Lex waved him off, accidentally splitting into another yawn as she did so, making Yoongi chuckle.

“ _We can get together again soon, Lexi.”_ The blond said, almost fondly. “ _We have stuff to work off, don’t we?”_ Lex shook the notepad she’d been writing all over, at the camera.

“Plenty. Thank you, Yoongi. Goodnight. I’ll-” She paused, and then smiled. “I’ll talk to you both soon.”

Yoongi nodded, and Namjoon leant forwards. “I’ll be waiting.” He said with a smile. Lex ducked her head, and waved one last time before she ended the call, closed the laptop and was alone in the dark.

Yoongi was right.

 _She had work to do_.


	4. 4

The calls became near daily, and before long – both of their managers cottoned on to the work flowing across the world. With their blessing, demo tracks, lyric suggestions, tweaked backing tracks were flowing between the three songwriters, and when Yoongi asked for female backing vocals, Lex got Gigi into the studio immediately.

She herself was nearly ready to start recording in earnest.

Yoongi had already pumped out two new tracks that sounded different, but so good. He hadn’t said explicitly, but she knew he liked the new sound too.

Much to her surprise, Birdie had jumped on the idea of rapping, and had dragged Sophia along with her when she went to some rap courses ran in a university student’s small apartment. Lex herself had experimented with a course online, but didn’t feel like it suited her as much. She thought the two women had potential, but she would need outside opinion.

She sent a recording of the two separately to Hobi, Yoongi and Namjoon – with no context or text attached.

**_J-Hop_ ** _: this is Sophia right? Who’s the other? They have good flow!_

**_Yoon:_** _Birdie sounds almost professional. Tell her to let the speed come naturally and not to force it. Sophia just needs to work on diction. Sounding great._

**_Joon:_ ** _WOW! This is different! Definitely a must for the new album!_

She listened to the recording again, closing her eyes as Birdie’s voice came tinnily out of her phone’s speakers; starting slow, and before long, speeding up – stumbling as she tried to keep up in some parts. Her Brooklyn accent was unmistakable. Sophia took her turn second, and Yoongi was right, some words sounded like others – but she didn’t know if it was fully diction, or Sophia’s Spanish accent.

But it did sound good – if different.

* * *

 

Though they hadn’t had a discussion about the kiss – Jungkook knew that she just wanted to keep things how they had been. Not only were they living across the world from each other, but they were also working.

Jungkook also wasn’t sure that Val had actually meant anything by it.

From watching some ( _all_ ) videos of LaVie he could find, Jungkook came to the conclusion that Valerie Silva was a seductively charming woman that had no reason to look twice at him. Not only was he younger than her, more inexperienced – the life of an idol was all he’d ever known – but he was nothing compared to the men she’d been linked with. He had looked up ( _Instagram-stalked_ ) an ex of hers – that hadn’t been a fun trip into the social media rabbit hole.

But they still talked – not as much as she talked to Jin, of course – but they still spoke, and Jungkook still found himself getting embarrassingly flustered.

She, naturally, was as cool and charismatic as ever.

He could hear her laugh through the phone – Jin was on speakerphone with her in the kitchen. Her laugh was probably the least attractive thing about her – when she found something really funny, she had a cackle that sounded like an animated supervillain. But still… _he_ found it endearing.

She said Jin’s name again, in a tone that made his insides curl. He stood up, abandoning the book he’d been pretending to read and walked into the kitchen.

“Jungkook!” Jin said happily. “Taste this!”

“ _Jungkookie?”_ Val asked. “ _Am I on speaker phone, Jin?”_ her voice was reproachful.

“It’s fine – no one was listening.” Jin dismissed, holding out a forkful of something that smelled like cloves and was steaming. Jungkook obediently ate it.

“It’s good.” He said. “More salt.” Jin nodded, and turned back to the stove. “Hello, Val.”

“ _Hey, Kookie – how have you been?”_

“Good. I watched that movie.” He perched himself on the counter and picked up the phone. The film My Girl hadn’t exactly been high on his ‘to-watch’ list (he’d never heard of it) – but after hearing Val’s impassioned speech about the importance of the film, he had watched it the other night. And it had made him tear up – just like she had said it would.

Her answering cry of delight made any feelings about being a wimp fade. “ _And how good is it?”_

“You were right. I cried.” He said, ignoring Jin’s eyes on him.

“ _Aww… Kookie… I wish could have watched it together.”_

_So did he._

“ _Shit. I gotta go. Jin, darling, can you remember to send me the link to those shoes?”_

“Yes, yes – anything for you.”

_“Kookie,”_

“Yeah?”

“ _Text me a movie you think I should watch. We can make it like a book-club, but with movies. I’ll speak you soon, dears. Goodbye!”_

She hung up before either of them could respond, and Jungkook was left wondering what movie she would like.

 

* * *

 

Lex wriggled in next to Val and Gigi on the sofa, throwing an arm around both of them. The TV was hooked up to a laptop, and Birdie was busy at work, going between tabs on the internet. At their feet, Sophia was adjusting her phone.

“Okay – Lex is here – let’s go!” Sophia said, and pressed the FaceTime button.

It only rang once, before the video footage was connected. Hobi and Tae’s grinning faces appeared onscreen. “ _Hello!”_ they chorused, waving at the camera.

“Hey guys!” Val said, smiling at their enthusiasm.

“Are you two the only ones ready?” Gigi asked curiously.

“ _Yes, we got done first.”_ Hobi said haltingly in English.

“We’re wishing you luck – but I doubt you’ll need it.” Lex said, smirking.

“We’ve been voting _forever_!” Birdie said dramatically, flopping down next to Sophia. A countdown clock was on the TV screen, indicating she’d found the right website to stream on.

Tae grinned. “ _Say hi to the others?”_

“Quickly.” Lex allowed. They were probably time pressed, and she had caught sight of crew members rushing around in the back of the video frame. Tae snatched the phone from Hobi, ignoring the man’s indignant shout. He paused, face briefly creasing as he turned the camera around. He appeared in the mirror, standing behind Jimin, who had turned to grin up at him.

“ ** _The girls are calling!”_**

Birdie translated for the others, and Jimin grabbed the phone to see them – and they watched in the mirror as his face split into a grin. His eye makeup was only done on one eye, but he still looked picture perfect. “ _Hello!”_ he waved at them, Tae propping his head on Jimin’s shoulder as the smaller man flipped the camera around again.  “ _Thank you for watching!”_

“We wouldn’t miss it!” Sophia said, winking at him. He giggled sweetly, but had to give the phone back as his stylist returned, wielding a brush and looking concentrated.

Tae bounced off again, babbling in Korean to Birdie, who alternated between translating and responding. Lex only caught a few words, but noticed Val nodding along. Out of all of them – Gigi probably knew the least Korean, then Sophia, Lex, Val and finally Birdie, who had taken up online lessons as well as using it practically. He broke off mid word to grin boxily at something they couldn’t see. “ _Jungkookie! Jin-hyung!”_

Moments later, the two black haired boy’s faces appeared in frame. Val trilled with delight, leaning forwards to greet them. “Oh, you both look so handsome!”

“ _I know._ ” Jin said, winking at her. Jungkook just coloured, making Tae laugh.

The youngest man cleared his throat. “ _You look handsome – I mean-”_ he paused, waiting for the other two to stop laughing. Birdie could hardly stifle her own laughter, and Lex was close to chuckling at the raw embarrassment in his eyes. “ _Thank you, Val.”_ He said finally. “ _I have to go.”_ He muttered, and darted off, making Tae laugh even harder.

“Don’t tease him, Tae.” Val said fondly. “He’s just shy.”

 _And half in love with you._ Lex resisted saying.

“ _Try not to faint when you see my full outfit.”_ Jin chimed in.

Val raised an eyebrow. “Show me now.” She demanded, and obediently, Jin stepped away – Tae flipping the camera to display him. All of the girls cooed over his perfectly fitting suit.

“The only thing you’re missing is a rose – then you’d look like the perfect gentlemanly bachelor.” Val sighed, clasping her hands together. Jin blew a kiss into the camera, making Birdie pretend to faint, and Tae giggle.

“ _I will find a rose for you.”_ Jin vowed, and went out of the camera’s sight, as if to really find a rose. Tae flipped the camera again.

He was pouting. “ _No one says I look handsome._ ” He complained.

Sophia laughed. “I think you look perfect, Tae-Tae.” She complimented. He grinned. She looked up at the eyes on her, flushing slightly. “What? He does.” She defended. Lex grinned, shaking her head. Gigi giggled slightly, turning her head into Lex’s chest.

“Where’s Yoongi?” Lex asked, and Tae turned, the ceiling above him swirling dizzily as he did so. Moments later, they were treated to a close-up of the white-blond man. His confused scowl at the intrusion was quickly replaced with a gummy smile, eyes crinkling in happy surprise.

“ _What are you guys doing?”_ He asked, a slight American accent to his words. Birdie twitched as he spoke, drawing Val’s eyes. She was grinning wider than she’d seen all night.

“We’re getting ready to watch you guys accept an award or two!” Birdie said, “We’ve been busy voting.”

He pressed a hand to one of his cheeks, looking touched. “ _That’s very kind.”_

“Anything for our bestest buds!” Sophia said cheekily.

He ducked his head for a moment, and smiled again. “ _We will have to return the favour.”_ He said seriously. A loud voice in Korean came out of nowhere, making Yoongi’s eyes widen slightly in panic. “ ** _We have to be ready soon, Tae, finish up._ ” **Birdie repeated it, and Lex nodded.

“Good luck, Yoon.” They watched as Tae reclaimed the phone and started hurrying somewhere, caramel hair bouncing. “Tae…” she said warningly.

He looked down at the phone. “ _You have to say hello to Joonie-hyung.”_ He wheedled.

“Quickly…” Lex said again, settling back.

Namjoon’s face was quickly in their sights again, and they chorused a hello – making his dimples pop as he smiled. “ _You guys…”_ he trailed off fondly.  

“ ** _Good luck for tonight, Namjoon, we’ll be watching!”_** Birdie said quickly in Korean, making him laugh.

“ _Thanks guys. Speak soon?”_ he said, and tapped Tae.

“Yeah for sure.” Val said, nudging Lex who nodded mutely.

“ _Okay – see you guys soon I guess.”_ He said, letting Tae go.

“ _Thank you! **Goodbye!**_ ” Tae gave the camera a kiss and pulled back smiling broadly. They all blew him one back, making him grin.

The FaceTime ended just as the countdown clock on the TV hit five minutes. They settled in to watch, Birdie and occasionally Val translating as best they could. When the boys got up on stage, however, Val squealed. Clutched in Jin’s mouth was a _rose_.

“ _Oh. My. GOD.”_ She trilled, “He is so cute!”

As if sensing her reaction, Jin winked at a camera, making the rose twitch in his mouth. Lex felt a smile cross her face, growing bigger as they performed and spoke.

_They were good people._


	5. 5

Lex hit play for what must have been the hundredth time.

_She was finally done…_

It had taken three full days to edit the track herself – to piece together vocals, effects, beats and chords… but she’d done it. Under occasional instruction from the master himself, Yoongi – but she had physically done it herself.

She felt something hot and wonderful bubbling up in her chest – something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

_She was fucking proud of herself._

It was different – so different to anything they had done. Rawer and with a different dynamic. She still hadn’t gathered enough courage to put Birdie or Sophia on the track _actually_ rapping, they merely had a slightly faster rhythm based part – maybe she’d leak some clips of them and see what the response was – but it was ready.

Fingers trembling slightly, from nerves and sheer exhaustion – she hadn’t slept more than a few hours since she’d started editing – she typed out an email to three recipients.

[ _minyoongi@kebi.com_ ](mailto:minyoongi@kebi.com) _,_ [ _tombrown@gmail.com_ ](mailto:tombrown@gmail.com) _,_ [ _kimnamjoon@kebi.com_ ](mailto:kimnamjoon@kebi.com) _._

She felt the last of her energy leave her then, and knowing she probably couldn’t make it back to her room, she just closed her laptop, and lay down on the desk, pillowing her head on her arms. Sleep overwhelmed her quickly – and Lex was lost to the world.

* * *

 

“ _You haven’t heard it?”_

Val shook her head, before realising her manager couldn’t see her. “No. She’s been locked away in the studio for ages. I haven’t seen her in like four days.”

Thomas had called her in a flurry of excitement about the mysterious track that Lex had put together. Val hadn’t heard any of it – not including the parts she’d had to sing. But she’d picked up instantly that it was different from the other stuff – for one thing, she had barely been singing – her ‘solo’, had just been her speaking, and her chorus or harmonies had been few. She didn’t resent the fact – she just wanted to know what was going on.

“ _It’s great. Really great.”_ Tom said, pride permeating his voice completely. “ _It’s different direction – but it’s a good one. I think we need to get together and think about rebranding slightly.”_

Rebranding… a term she was uncomfortable with. She didn’t know if she could handle another rebranding – she’d just gotten settled into her own role as the sensual charmer of the group, and if they thought they could turn her into the ‘cute’ one or something…

“ _Valerie?”_

“Oh, yeah, I’m still here, sorry. Just… nothing too extreme, yeah?”

He didn’t answer, just laughed – doing nothing to assuage her worry. “ _I’ll arrange a meeting with everyone. I’ll see you soon.”_

* * *

 

Birdie knew she should have been expecting some stylistic changes – but this was quite… drastic.

She regarded the images in front of her with some trepidation. Her usual styling was individual and slightly less feminine than the rest of her band members – but the proposed stylistic image was distinctly… different.

“Why are Birdie and I going to be dressed like wanna-be Lil Debbies?” Sophia voiced her own concern, brown eyes furrowed at the picture of camouflage pants and crop top that was on her screen. “This is a little ‘gangster.’” Her accent thickened on the word.

“Well – actually, with the direction we’re thinking, as well as your work on rap, we’re looking at a different look for the pair of you.” Thomas said, leaning back in his chair. “I want to move away from the quirky thing you had going on, Birdie.” Birdie felt vaguely offended. She wasn’t deliberately meaning to be ‘quirky’, and the way he had said it sounded like an insult. He seemed to realise that, and sent her a placating smile. “That’s not to say that it was a bad thing, we just want to try this. Lex’s new song gave us a lot to think about.”

Birdie shot an accusing look at Lex, but the blonde woman was looking at her own concept, a pained look on her face. In fact, the others were also giving similar looks to their concepts. Gigi was shifting in place, fiddling with the huge sweater she was wearing – and looking terrified. Gigi had lost quite a lot of weight – she suddenly realised – her skin was tight on her face, and her eyes were sunken and dull. Her annoyance at her own proposals turned swiftly into concern for the small, anxious looking woman in the seat opposite her.

Val broke the silence. “You’re not cutting my hair, are you?”

“We wouldn’t dare, Valerie. We’re simply going to lighten it a little – make the red pop more.” Val’s nose wrinkled, and he grinned. “Natural is the way to go now.”

Val caught Birdie’s eyes, and rolled her own – lifting the concept board to show pictures of other red heads with an obvious feature displayed that Val hated most about herself – freckles. Val had naturally wavy hair, and freckles covering most of her face, and whenever she went in the sun without protection, they spread to her limbs as well. There were quite a lot of soft fabrics and light colours on the woman’s board – a far cry from the usual look she sported; sensual and glitzy glamour.

Birdie took a look down at her board again, trying to see past the pointed athlesuire looks, coupled with more camouflage, bucket hats and black leather than she’d seen in a while. It wasn’t so bad when she really looked at it – she didn’t know if she could pull it off, but there was no sense not to try. Then her eyes fell on the bottom left corner, to see some pictures of hair. Coloured hair. Pink to be exact. “Hey… um, quick question… is the pink hair there deliberately?”

Tom grinned. “We can always bleach it back if it looks horrible.” Birdie resisted the urge to squeak.

Lex let out a sardonic laugh. “You think pink is bad?” She turned her own board, and at first Birdie didn’t see anything different about it. There was still a lot of black, leather and vaguely androgynous shapes – but, there was also a lot of pictures of tight, revealing outfits, and tattoos – Lex’s tattoos, coupled with _black_ hair. “I’m going full emo.” She said.

“Grunge.” One of the stylist’s corrected gently. “That way you don’t have to hide your smoking.”

Lex looked suddenly like she wanted to be sick. “You’re not even telling me to stop – you’re saying keep smoking because it goes with the _aesthetic._ ” She sounded aghast.

“Well, if we told you to quit – would you?” Thomas asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Lex laughed again – just as coldly. “It might surprise you, but _yes_ – but that’s not what you want is it?”

Thomas shook his head, looking fed up. “Listen – everything’s going to be a little different. Lex, grunge is the direction for you, Sophia and Birdie, you two need to look the part if we’re really going to try the rap thing – and yes Val, we’re going natural, and Gigi we’re trying-”

He turned to one of the younger stylists, the same one who had corrected Lex. She looked pityingly at Gigi. “Insta-baddie. I think it’s time to step away from the cutesy-shy girl. You’ve got the look, it’s time to become the part.”

Birdie could practically see Lex’s hackles rise, and the blonde opened her mouth, ready to spit out some retort – but Val’s hand fell on her shoulder, squeezing lightly. Birdie held her breath, but as always, Val’s touch worked magic on Lex, and the blonde settled back down – settling for sending a murderous glare at the stylist instead.

Sophia cleared her throat, tension thick in the air. “So, uh, when are we going to hear the new song?”


	6. 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Here's the next chapter. As a part of this fic - I wanted to give the girls music, and if you're uncomfortable with me writing other artist's music into this fic as theirs, maybe don't read. I really admire and respect the artists whose music will be incorporated into this fic and think all of them are incredibly talented. that being said - when reading this chapter, the song Haunted is Beyonce's Haunted, 2013. All rights go to the artists and labels :)

Val had never been more grateful for Jin.

She had been ranting to the man for the past half hour – and he was perfect at cooing sympathetically, agreeing empathetically, and huffing angry sighs at all the right places.

“ _Val, I’m sure you will still look stunning_.” He said, after she’d spat her last irritated sentence down the line. _“You and I look good in anything.”_

Val laughed, his words still able to coax a smile onto her face. She sighed. “I guess… I just… in high school – I wasn’t anything like I am now, and I only really gained confidence through the band – and being and looking a certain way. All I know how to do is… sexy, or whatever.” She said, wincing at the thought of her past self. She had been every Hollywood stereotype of the nerdy high schooler, complete with braces, acne, and baby fat that only really turned into grown curves after she had left school. She hadn’t been bullied – and though she knew that was all due to Lex – she was grateful she hadn’t been.

Lex had been the popular one in school – seemingly effortlessly cool and beautiful, hitting puberty hard and early. Val – to this day – still did not know what had driven Lex to her all those years ago. But they had been inseparable – and close in ways that she still dreamt about occasionally.

The ever-popular ‘ship’ Valex, wasn’t entirely unfounded.

 _That_ had driven something of a wedge between her and her parents – and no one – not even the other bandmates knew about the true story behind Lex and Val. Sophia, Gigi and Birdie knew that they had briefly had a fling when Lex was a senior and Val a junior, but that was it. Nothing about how deep it had really gone, or how it had ended.

“ _Are you okay?”_ Jin’s voice made her realise she had been frozen and silent in thought.

“I’m okay.” She closed her eyes. “Sorry to bother you, Jinnie.”

“ _You don’t bother me, Val. It’s always a pleasure to talk to you.”_

“Man, I am so in love with you.” She sighed. “How are you literally a Disney prince?”

Jin laughed, a bright bubbling sound – that Val had to admit, _did_ sound remarkably like a windscreen wiper – and she could picture his amused face. “ _I was born Charming. Prince Charming._ ” Val laughed with him this time. “ _I love you too, Valerie. I hope we see each other soon.”_

Val noticed that she didn’t mind so much when Jin called her Valerie. Most of the boys did – she wasn’t sure why – but she found she quite liked it. Maybe she should incorporate it into her new concept…

* * *

 

Jungkook felt his stomach twist painfully at Jin’s words.

“ _I love you too, Valerie…”_

He didn’t really know what they had been talking about – with Valerie leading the conversation, meaning he couldn’t hear – but he assumed it had been something about missing _Jin_.

Jungkook couldn’t really resent the older man for unknowingly stamping all over his feelings – which he did have.

 _“Don’t forget this. Don’t forget me.”_ She had whispered in his ear. She had _kissed_ him – and maybe, technically, it was a peck – not a kiss, but there was no way he had imagined the breathlessness of her voice, or the fondness in her eyes whenever she looked at him.

But maybe he had…

They suited each other. Jin and Val. Valerie and Seokjin.

Both of them, untouchably beautiful and perfect – Val ridiculously perfect and more _erotic_ than he could ever hope to handle. She was older than him too – and what woman ever looked at a boy?

When they next saw each other – which if Jin had his way, would be soon – he would put his stupid crush to rest. He’d be able to see how they interacted together – and he’d see her, and he would make sure that he got how untouchable she was, how overly perfect she was – and he’d get over it.

 _He’d get over it_.

* * *

 

Yoongi didn’t know when Birdie sending him a meme every morning had become routine, but here he was – slightly worried, staring at his phone, because at 12:48 pm – he was awake, yet there was no notification from her. She usually sent it out when she woke up, around 8:30 am her time – and he would see it when he woke up. But there was nothing.

He chalked it up to her being busy.

Yesterday, LaVie’s joint social media accounts had released a 20 second preview of the track Lex had sent him, with the title of the song; _HAUNTED_ flickering on a blank screen. The internet had flipped out. It had been the instrumental, with just the background of Birdie’s voice singing ‘ _around’_ , just before Lex’s speaking part. But it had been enough to get the band trending on every platform.

There had been radio silence from them though – and he figured he shouldn’t be surprised that Birdie hadn’t messaged him – even her well-used snapchat had been silent.

He’d heard about the new concept idea from Jin, and he was also secretly excited to see what they did with Birdie and Sophia, who were definitely going to need a different look if they wanted to pull off the rap he was sure Lex would introduce. He smiled to himself then – realising he was acting like a fan before a comeback.

Just then – his phone buzzed.

A notification from Birdie popped up.

 ** _Birdie K:_** _almost forgot!!! Good morning!!!! <3 <3 <3_

_Attachment: 1 image_

He stared at the heart emojis for a second too long after saving the meme, before he forced himself to turn the phone off – dismissing the faint flutter in his chest at her message.


	7. 7

Sophia watched Birdie enviously – the other woman’s face carefully poised, and looking just the right kind of ‘cool’.

The pair of them were artfully slumped over plush velvet cushions in front of a lit fireplace. Birdie’s newly dyed hair shimmering a rosy colour in the orange light. She was wearing orange cargo pants – matching her bright eyeshadow and bright lips – though part of the bold eye look was covered by a pair of angular sunglasses perched quite far down her nose. Her ruched bandeau top, was black – like the thick choker around her neck, and altogether – Sophia thought she looked exactly the way the concept had dictated – still catering for the fact that they couldn’t instantly jump into the new look. She was transitioning, but Sophia could already see that it would suit her.

As for herself, she was sweating in velvet jogger pants, with gold piping up the sides to match the gold on her stupidly elaborate heels, massive hoops, and expensive Versace watch she had been lent. The leather of her corset top was constricting and not at all breathable – and to top it off, she was mostly covered in a large black fur coat. She could practically feel the sweat beading all over her.

“How are you feeling, So-So?” Birdie asked her cheerfully, the crew still getting set up in the large room around them.

Sophia groaned. “These pants are so tight over my ass, I think if I move they’ll split, this top is pushing up my boobs so much, I don’t know if I have nipples anymore, and I’m sweating so much I think I’m going to drown – but other than that – fine.”

Birdie laughed merrily – pushing up her sunglasses with one finger as they slipped slightly. “Don’t worry – later on apparently I have to wear fur and you’ll be free.” She gestured to where a rack of clothes was standing, and sure enough, a bright orange fur coat was hanging on the rack. Sophia huffed again, suddenly very aware of a camera that was pointed in their direction. Judging by the way Birdie wasn’t allowing her head to slump back against the pillows and show off a double chin, she knew too.

* * *

 

Val knew that the only ones sharing a set were Birdie and Sophia – who apart from the group shots, would be shooting in the living room of the ornate house they were renting for the music video.

She herself would be shooting in the master bedroom – in the (visually) lightest set. They had set up gauzy white curtains and pale, soft lighting to replicate morning light. They even had a fan ready to make the curtains move, if the breeze from the balconies of the room wasn’t enough. All in all, it was a very pure looking set.

She herself also looked the most pure – despite the fact she wasn’t wearing pants. She also felt the most underdressed, the others in furs and silks, and much heavier makeup. Her outfit consisted of an unseen red Calvin Klein bra and underwear set, under a huge, soft knitted turtleneck sweater that reached her mid thigh when she stood. It was light cream, so it would be visible against the pure white sheets she was sitting upon. She wiggled her toes in the knee high stripy socks she was wearing.

All she had to do for her solo shots was roll around and try and look cute, whilst saying lines that were anything but. She wondered again how exactly Lex’s song – and her lines; “ _Slap me! I'm pinned to the doorway. Kiss, bite, foreplay…”_ had inspired the move away from her original image.

But there was no point worrying about it now – not when the mere music of the song had inspired such a reaction from the world at large. The reactions of their fans were enough to placate her as a stylist made her bun look messy but still appealing – tugging painfully at her scalp.

* * *

 

Gigi couldn’t help but cling to Lex, despite the fact that they needed to start shooting in about a minute, and their sets were in different places. She was with Lex in the library, where the older woman would be shooting.

She still couldn’t get over Lex’s new hair.

Lex had been blonde since they’d met, all the way back in high school – and to see it so dark was shocking. But of course – as everything seemed to – it suited her. If Lex had looked intimidating with her platinum locks – she now looked absolutely dangerous, in a scarily sexy way with black hair. At the moment, it had been wetly and messily slicked back – blue eyes ringed with deliberately smudged black shadow and liner, and her lips were a natural looking pink. They were currently pressed in a slightly annoyed line.

Gigi knew it was partly because of her own clinginess – and also because, for the first time in LaVie’s history, Lex was openly displaying her tattoos.

The woman’s outfit was a barely there satin bodysuit, under a burgundy pantsuit, but the jacket was currently off, and slung to the side. She would wear it for the first half of her shooting – creating a reveal of sorts. Her floral embroidered heels put her even higher above Gigi – who’s own stilettos didn’t help much.

They were beautiful though – ornate, and decorated with a twisting rose vine around the heel. She was wearing pants too – high waisted silk ones, and a green silk crop top, with lace above the cleavage, and a rose embroidered choker to match her shoes. Her makeup was different too – eyebrows more pronounced and she had on crazily long eyelashes and deep, dark red lipstick. She looked… not like herself. She hated it. It was tight in all the wrong ways, and she could just tell that all of her rolls would show on camera.

Nausea roiled in her stomach.

As if sensing something was wrong, Lex looked down at her, and gently pried her face out of her side. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“I don’t like this.” She gestured lamely to herself, feeling her cheeks heat up at Lex’s full attention. The woman was always intense – even when she didn’t mean to be.

Lex hummed, and stroked one of the braids in Gigi’s hair. “I know. I don’t either. I don’t know what message it’s going to send to the old fans.” They’d never done a music video with such a large budget, and what they had done, they’d shot and mostly edited themselves. This… this had costumes, scripts, and teams of people for everything. It was a full production. “We just have to do it.” Gigi nodded, gulping as Thomas started heading towards them, looking fed-up, a faint crease in between his eyes. “You’d better go, G. Good luck.”

Gigi stole another hug from the woman, breathing in her familiar smell – before darting off towards the guest bedroom she’d be shooting in. It was right next to the ballroom, where they’d all be filming together.

Her production crew were muttering between themselves as she started filming – and embarrassingly, she felt heat prickle her eyes at the feeling of being watched and judged by so many people.

* * *

 

Lex looked at the tiny version of herself on the camera’s monitor, squinting critically at her performance. It wasn’t the best – to anyone who knew her personally, you could tell that she had been uncomfortable. But for the most part, the black hair and smoky eyes had definitely promoted the bored and brooding persona she had tried to adopt, flung over the tall armchair in the library, surrounded by vases and vases of roses.

 _Vampiric_.

The word came to mind, as her onscreen-self bit slightly at her lip, smirking evilly. The suit itself could almost be masculine, but for the vast amount of her chest and collarbones that were exposed by the revealing bodysuit. Her tattoos had shown up well on camera. It was strange – seeing herself with dark hair and tattoos out. It was like she was looking at a punk edit of herself. _Maybe she should get a nose piercing. It would add to the grunge look._

She’d drawn the line at smoking in the video.

Not only would it look like they were trying too hard with the image – but she wanted to put it off for as long as possible. As much as they could claim to not have influence – there would always be people who started because they watched a role model do it. Lex wasn’t deluded, she knew smoking was dangerous and stupid – but she was addicted. She had gotten started very young, and she depended on it fiercely. She had a tendency towards addiction, and that was why she didn’t touch anything else. She only drank when she was sure she was in the right state of mind, and she was with people she trusted, and she had stayed well away from drugs. Apparently her father had been a gambler. Not that she would know.

She hadn’t known either of her parents.

She pushed aside the familiar train of thought, and focussed instead, on the upcoming group filming. There wasn’t much to be done. She had written the song with the thought of setting very clear solo parts for each person. There was even minimal harmonization – and the vocal overlays were generally of the woman singing.

She would be lying if she hadn’t envisioned it being performed. It had the potential to be an opening number, to introduce the girls, one by one as they had their turn.

It would have to be spectacular.


	8. 8

Namjoon didn’t really know what he had been expecting for the music video to the song Lex had sent him out of the blue about a fortnight ago – but it definitely wasn’t this.

He got an idea about thirty seconds in – when the familiar forms of Birdie and Sophia appeared. He paused the video and sent out a text to the group chat – as well as his manager, asking permission. Minutes later, the others bounced in to the living room, throwing themselves down around his laptop.

“Namjoon-hyung! When did it get released?” Jungkook asked curiously, trying to peek over his shoulder. Jin tugged him back slightly,

“Just before. I was about to watch it too – but this is a good idea, Joon.”

Falling into their onscreen personas, they introduced the hastily put together video. “Now! We react to LaVie’s HAUNTED!” Hobi declared in accented English.

Namjoon restarted the video, smiling slightly. Grainy footage of the girls as children flashed across the screen, each shot displaying them getting older, and older, until finally – there was a shot of a concert, and Lex’s voice came through the speakers – echoic. “ _Thank you! We are LaVie!”_ The girls onscreen bowed, looking just a little younger than he remembered, but still mostly the same.

Then, the camera panned to an old looking mansion, slowly travelling through the large front doors – the shot fading as the heavy drum beat kicked in. “ _And I've been drifting off on knowledge. Cat-calls on cat-walks, man these women getting solemn_ …”

Birdie and Sophia appeared; their heads the only thing in frame, as Birdie began the song.

“Wow! Her hair!” Jimin cried happily, jabbing Yoongi accidentally in the ribs as he wiggled excitedly. Namjoon grinned at the image of the young woman, the sunglasses, choker, and pink hair, so different to how he remembered her – but somehow, it worked.

Yoongi nodded along with the vaguely familiar words, appreciating the difference between what he was used to, and what he was hearing from the women on screen. Sophia looked good too – the tougher look worked on both of them beautifully, and Birdie had a screen presence that was obvious even though all she was doing was lounging around on some cushions. “ _What goes up, ghost around… Ghost around…_ ”

“ _Sold, not for sale. Probably won’t make no money off this – oh well…”_ Lex’s voice came out of the speakers then, and at first he didn’t realise what he was looking at. The slim form with their back to the camera, in a perfectly fitting burgundy suit, poised with a dead rose, was undeniably familiar. It was only when she turned around; “ _Perfection is so… mm_ …” that Yoongi actually recognized Lex.

The reveal of Lex with her black hair inspired the biggest reaction yet – the others bursting into excited noise; all excepting Namjoon. Yoongi snuck a glance at him, to find his mouth hanging open gormlessly, eyes wide. He poked the other man without looking, making him snap back into focus, cheeks slightly red.

He couldn’t really blame Namjoon – Lex was dripping sex appeal and danger with her hair so dark and her eyes so cold, face so unnervingly perfect and removed. The way she rolled her head back as she hummed was perfectly timed too – a ‘Jimin’ move if ever he saw one.

Jungkook made a strangled sound, that he only heard because he was squashed up against the boy. Val had appeared on screen, fluttering gauze around her, and oversized sweater making her look angelic. Soft. Completely different to the sexiness he associated her with. She looked sweeter now – but still had an edge of sensuality that he guessed was entirely her own fault, considering the way she’d been dressed, in stupidly cute socks and with fluffy, messy hair.

* * *

 

Jungkook could see her freckles.

They dotted her cheeks in multitudes he hadn’t imagined – but he had the grossest, strangest impulse to kiss every single one of them. She looked… like a fairy…

It was _not_ helping anything.

_How dare she look that soft?!_

* * *

 

Jimin swallowed thickly at Gigi’s form, perfectly outlined in green and black silk. She looked… older… grown up. Her makeup was darker and heavier too – adding to the styled bad girl look she had. Her vocals were no joke either – and he felt goose bumps raise on his arms as her voice soared.

But as she lifted her hands above her head – shirt riding up even further, he realised how prominent her ribs were. Unconsciously, he conjured the image of her at the beach, soft and curvy, skin warm and brown. She looked more angular now – not that she had lost her shape, but she looked skinny, hips, legs and arms much thinner, breasts smaller (he blushed) – and her skin was slightly sallow under the makeup. It was a little alarming.

* * *

 

At the end, as they assembled for their group shots, the difference between what they had looked like last, and what they looked like now was most evident.

Val had been given a pair of jeans to wear under the sweater she wore, ripped and baggy. It was almost like they were trying to hide her body – and expose as much of Lex and Gigi as they could. Sophia and Birdie were clearly the most comfortable, cool and chic in their new looks – as they flirted with the camera.

Yoongi joined the others in congratulating the girls, but he was preoccupied with the strange possessiveness and worry he felt over Gigi’s sudden weight loss, Val’s uncomfortable face and Lex’s dead eyes underneath her manufactured sultry look.

Yoongi didn’t consider himself to be a particularly open and caring person – he only trusted and loved his members, and yeah, he’d do anything for them – yet, here he was – worrying about women he barely knew who were on the other side of the world. His pocket felt suddenly heavy, Birdie’s unanswered text weighing on him.

He pulled it out – and typed away quickly, shooting off a text and shoving it away again. That should ease his weird guilty feeling.


	9. 9

They were put on a small interview circuit after the music video dropped –and Lex hadn’t had time to engage with much of the outside world – so it was a shock to her when the interviewer brought up BTS. After answering (lying) another question about what was happening with the rest of the album (she had no idea, she felt drained and she’d only written one fucking song.) – the interviewer had dropped a casual note that somehow – their song was trending in Korea – and that the boys had released a viral reaction video.

“Sorry, what now?” Lex heard herself ask, surprised enough to drop her pleasant (default) smile she wore for interviews, and give an ugly round mouthed look of curiosity, that made them all laugh.

The interviewer laughed, shaking out her curled brown extensions. “I’m surprised you haven’t seen! You guys are making waves in the charts over there! I think it was the day after the video dropped – um, BTS? They made a reaction video.” Lex composed herself again, nodding as she absently rubbed at her tattoos – feeling the chill of the room making goose bumps rise. “We actually have a small clip here – with subtitles of course, for you guys! Korean is _so_ weird, right?” she laughed fakely, grating on Lex’s eardrums.

Val’s soft sweater brushed against her as she turned to face the big screen slightly behind them. Birdie was already bouncing slightly, a pleased grin on her face as a frozen still of the seven of them appeared on screen. Gigi went to wrap her arms around herself – but she stopped herself, visibly. She’d been given some physicality training in the wake of the music video release. Shy wasn’t her thing anymore. She was supposed to be confident and a little bit sexy. Sophia just leant over Val, draping herself across the fully covered red-head.

The video started abruptly, in the middle of them all talking – and Lex instantly recognized the part of the video they were watching, just before her own first appearance. She felt a small bloom of pride as she recognized a few words that weren’t covered by the subtitles.

“ _Wow! I like the new style!”_

 _“Birdie – yah!”_ Jin made a funny face, throwing his eyes wide as the tiny onscreen Birdie shifted her hips suggestively and raised an eyebrow at the camera. “ _Looks so cool!”_

The real Birdie clapped her hands excitedly – and responded to onscreen Jin. “ _Just copying you, Jin-hyung!”_

Gigi grinned, something sparkling in her eyes. As she whispered something to Sophia. Sophia nodded, and with eyes still locked on the screen murmured in English. “Speak Korean, it’ll piss them off.”

Val and Lex nodded slightly. Lex laughed openly at the uproar from the boys onscreen as they saw her black hair.

“ _-didn’t even recognize her!”_

_“-Looks so different!”_

_“MMM sexy, chic, cool!”_

“ _It look good camera.”_ Lex said calmly, making Val grin. Lex’s own Korean needed work – but she understood more than she spoke. Val and Birdie were better than her, and could understood most of her disjointed speech.

“ _I think so too! Looks great, love.”_ Val said back, and the warm playfulness in her eyes was something Lex hadn’t seen in a long time – so when she slung an arm around Val’s waist and pulled her in for a peck on the cheek, it was instinctual. Muscle memory. Val gave her a slightly warning look as she leant out of the embrace. Hobi’s sharp squeal from the screen and the resulting laughter from the audience was enough to bring her back to the present.

And besides – she looked back up at the video, where Val’s solo was playing, and Jungkook’s eyes were wide and disbelieving – _they were different people now._

* * *

 

Gigi watched the full video that night, curled up alone under the heavy duvet on her and Harry’s bed. She tried to convince herself that the heat on her cheeks was from the temperature under the covers – not from watching Jimin’s pretty smile and own flushed cheeks as he watched her avidly.

_Her smile was not from him saying how pretty she looked – no way._

* * *

 

Lex spun aimlessly in her desk chair – half listening to the music coming from the video chat she was on with Yoongi – neither of them had achieved much in the two-hour long call, but the first half an hour had been somewhat productive. The two of them were just too lazy to hang up.

Yoongi was listening to some sweet piano, the heavy beats he was working on at the same time making an odd audial combination.

“Dude, I wanna die.” She said absently, staring up at the same spot on the ceiling, feeling slightly nauseous from the dizziness due to her ceaseless spinning. Yoongi grunted in response. “Everyone is expecting a fucking album. I write one song and they want a full fucking album!” she keened, spinning even faster with a sharp shove to her desk.

“They’re not expecting you to do it alone.” Yoongi said absently. “You can ask for help you know.”

She hummed. “Yeah but I can’t get it from you all the time – we’re on different sides of the _planet_.” She whined.

“Ask someone else.”

“You’re the only one I trust, Yoon.”

That got his attention. “Really?” she missed his full-face appearing on screen, or his slightly touched look, spinning too fast to focus on anything.

“Yeah… You’re crazy talented, and you keep it real. There is no fucking way I could have written that without your input.”

“Thanks.” Abruptly, he clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Would you quit spinning? You’re making _me_ dizzy.” Lex shot a hand out, grabbing her desk and coming to a sudden stop that made her vision swim. “You could always ask to come to me. Or we come to you.”

Lex frowned, blinking rapidly. “What are you talking about?”

“Come write music here. Take some time off. Work out the band’s new direction – take the opportunity to build your international fan base. Come hang out with us.” The last part was uttered almost shyly, and Lex squinted at the brusque man through the screen.

“Do you… does _Min fucking Yoongi_ miss me?” she squealed in a deliberately annoying voice.

He scowled, his whole face scrunching up in revulsion. “You disgust me, _Alexis fucking Grey_.” They sneered silently at each other for another minute before he dropped the act. “Seriously. Pitch it to your manager. I’ll pitch it to mine. We’ll keep it low-key.”

Lex resumed her spinning as he resumed work.

_Low-key sounded good._


	10. 10

It turned out that low-key to Big Hit and Thomas meant a full-fucking production, with near full time camera, social media managing, variety show appearances – and an ‘interchange of knowledge.’

It also meant a rushed month of constant Korean lessons. Thomas had been adamant that they weren’t going to hire a translator.

_“You have Namjoon! And Birdie! Lex – this is a great idea.”_

It also meant no smoking.

Lex’s hands shook at the very thought of going cold turkey in less than two days.

On the bright side – she hadn’t seen the others so excited in a long time. Even Gigi – who had been acting odd since they’d gotta back from LA, was quietly thrilled – smiling softly all through the difficult language lessons, and through the endless lectures on etiquette, and more physicality training.

Apparently they were supposed to be as ‘American’ as possible – but not to offensive lengths. They would be a commodity.

Lex had just wanted to go crash with the boys for a month or two and bang out as many tunes as possible – and jet back before anyone had really noticed they were gone. Originally, she had pitched it with just herself going – but she’d been guilted into including the others – and before she knew it, it was out of her hands.

What was also frustrating, was that Yoongi hadn’t seemed surprised by the end product of his idea.

 _“Yeah, expected.”_ Had been his only comment.

Fuck. That.

* * *

 

Sophia couldn’t sleep – she could never sleep on planes. Next to her, Birdie was breathing deep, snuffling slightly. Somehow Gigi had scored a row to herself, despite being the smallest – and was stretched out across the seats, hair falling into the aisle between them. Smiling, Sophia reached out and brushed the unruly locks back into place.

Diagonally in front of her, Val and Lex were sitting.

Like her, Lex appeared wide awake.

She was hardly surprised – Lex was an undiagnosed insomniac. As she watched the older woman, her hands were flying furiously across a notebook balanced on the tray in front of her, handwriting scrawled unintelligibly across the page. Val was deeply asleep, head pillowed on the black-haired woman’s shoulder. In the dimmed light of the aeroplane, and in the huge jumper and her freckles on display, and with Lex in her glasses, and lips pursed in concentration – it sent Sophia back in time. Back to high school, when they were just dreamers, and Val and Lex would always seem to end up next to each other.

High school had been hard for her – not as hard as it had been for Val or for Gigi, but English wasn’t her first language – and her parents hadn’t been in the picture. Her foster parents had been kind, reliable, and she still sometimes saw them – but in the end, it had only really been her and Sebastian. She’d been bullied briefly by some closed minded racists before Birdie had come into her life like some sort of human tornado.

They had come together like some sort of weird stereotypical teenage movie about friendship – each of them from such different friendship groups.

She had hung out with her brother mostly, as well as the few other Latina students that had inhabited their school. Birdie, unsurprisingly, had been on the cheer team – due to her athleticism and peppy blonde-ness. Val had been a drama kid, self-conscious everywhere but onstage, where she would shed her uncomfortable self and become other people at the drop of a hat. Gigi had been different – more of a loner than any of them, and once rumours had spread about her home life, had been avoided like the plague, she usually studied in any free time, either sitting alone with her books – or with a group of other like-minded people, all too shy to do something about it. Lex had been a popular kid – and Sophia had heard about her before she had even saw her, had heard about her ‘legendary ragers’ she had at her house, and her ‘hot bod’, and how she gave less shits than anyone else.

It wasn’t surprising.

Lex had been much the same back then as she was now – _way_ less uptight, but physically the same. It had surprised her when Lex had invited her to one of her parties – she hadn’t thought the blonde girl even remembered the name of the much younger girl who had given her the answers to some Spanish homework.

Sophia smiled at the memory of that night.

Her smile faded as the plane shuddered slightly – and her hands tightened on her seatbelt in her lap. _Mierda planes._

* * *

 

Although he was excited to see the girls again – Hobi couldn’t help but worry about the whole ordeal. He knew that they had been informed that they’d be filmed meeting again – but he didn’t know how they’d deal with it.

He looked around at the others – who were still in various stages of being prepped for camera and felt a pang of guilt. _They had no idea what they were getting into_.

* * *

 

Lex knew there would be cameras – but she didn’t know that they’d be looking…

Like _that_.

There would be a camera in the vans with them – and two cameras waiting for them just outside the airport, and one would walk with them – capturing their first experience on Korean soil.

But they were tired and gross from travelling non-stop, and they were posed outside the doors, hair and makeup done and looking like fucking models. Like _idols._

“What the fuck.” Val whispered softly in her ear, clutching sleepily on to her sleeve and looking like she’d just been slapped in the face – fly away hairs in a wild halo around her face and head, and cheeks a soft pink from sleep, eyes wide but glazed as she stared at the assembled members.

Gigi didn’t look much better, still stumbling along like she _was_ asleep. One eye wasn’t even open. Sophia looked exhausted – Lex knew it was a product of her fear of airplanes that had kept her awake – and she was hiding most of her face under a pale pink cap shoved low on her brow. Birdie was the only one who looked energized and well-slept, grinning at the world around her as she practically skipped along with her huge suitcase. Lex had her own dark circles covered with sunglasses, and had hastily tied up her hair that _desperately_ needed a wash.

A pang of irritation and jealousy shot through her tired body as the boys straightened outside, the cameras next to them starting to roll.

She looked and felt like shit, and she was too tired for this.


	11. 11

Namjoon hid his wince from the cameras as he caught a glimpse of a brief scowl that flittered across Lex’s face. It was gone as quickly as it came, but he had seen it.

This wasn’t fair.

_They probably just wanted to have a shower and sleep in a real bed._

He leant towards the producer just outside the filming circle. “Hey, are we able to cut down the filming – they’re really tired.”

“We’re supposed to be filming your first interactions, and going to the accommodations?” the man began, and Namjoon smiled tightly.

“I know. Maybe just cut the cameras when we get into the vans, and we only need one camera out here. We can resume first thing in the morning – but I think they need some privacy.”

Namjoon turned to his own manager as he said it – looking at him pleadingly. Seijin nodded shortly, and the producer grumbled, but shot off instructions nonetheless.

The glass doors opened and they stepped through as a unit. Namjoon wasn’t alone as he shifted uncomfortably, unsure what to do.

The decision was made for all of them when Birdie dropped her suitcase abruptly, eyes suddenly welling up, and gave a cry of “TAE!” before hurtling towards them.

Taehyung met her half way, and spun with her, using her own momentum to swing her off the ground – his arms around her waist. She buried her face in his neck. “I missed you.”

Her Korean was good – better than he had expected.

Tae was grinning, huge and excitedly as he stepped forwards to greet Sophia, who smiled at him secretly. They rocked back and forth for a few seconds too long – Gigi shuffling forwards before they broke apart.

The tiny woman fell easily into Hobi’s embrace nodding sleepily as he mumbled something in her ear. His ear-splitting laughter rang out a second later, and it was the cue for them all to start interacting properly – coming forwards to greet each other.

* * *

 

Much to her own surprise, Lex felt herself gravitating towards Namjoon, who had just extracted himself from a slightly hysterical Sophia. He looked up at her, eyes wide and mouth spreading into a pleased smile.

“ _How are you, Lex?”_ he asked in English, and she inwardly thanked him for taking pity on her exhausted brain.

“ _Better now that we’re here.”_ She moved towards him, and raised her arms – knowing that it would look strange if they didn’t embrace like the others had – and _maybe_ some small selfish part of her wanted to be the one held for a change. Namjoon was tall and warm and so goddamn _soft_.

She knew that the sweater he was wearing was definitely designer – but it had obviously been made with maximum comfort in mind. He looked surprised as she fell into him slightly, but his arms came up quickly around her. “ _I told them we’d film more tomorrow. Just have to get into the vans and you’re good for tonight.”_

Lex sagged against him, groaning in pleasure; “ _You are an angel, Namjoon.”_ He stiffed slightly, but didn’t pull away.

“ _Nah. Just an understanding human. We’ll get drive-thru on the way to your apartment.”_

As he spoke, her stomach rumbled loudly. He laughed, and she knew she would have to give up the selfish comfort of his arms – and she pulled away. “Thanks for coming to meet us!” She said at large, garnering a pleased hum from Jin at her Korean.

Within minutes – they were swept up into the vans that had come to collect them and their belongings, and somehow – Lex found that she could sleep. The thrum of the van’s engine and the low chatter from the others with her lulled her to a deep sleep.

* * *

 

Sophia woke up to the smell of fries, the familiar salty scent stirring her from her sleep.

Tae’s face was inches from hers and she flinched backwards as he giggled, holding up the container of fries to her face again. “Hungry?” he asked.

Sophia made a grab towards them, but he pulled them out of reach, settling back in his chair and shoving a handful into his mouth. She hissed at him like an angry cat – making the others in the van laugh. Jin took one look at the fury dancing in her tired eyes and flicked Tae’s ear, before handing Sophia a bulging paper bag full of greasy-goodness. “I love you.” She declared, deciding that Jin was probably the best human on the planet.

Jin laughed good-naturedly, and turned back to face the front, Gigi knocked out beside him. Sophia could see from her seat in the back that the girl had already eaten, a faint stain of ketchup on her full-bottom lip. Namjoon was sitting in the passenger’s seat, and Hobi was on Jin’s other side – leaving the back row to her and Taehyung.

Sophia frowned as she realised that the girls were split between the two vans. “Hey, why aren’t we all together? Aren’t we going to a hotel?”

Jin turned back around to face her, “Didn’t you get told?” he and Tae exchanged a look over her head, and in her tired state, it was the last straw.

“No. No, I didn’t get told anything. _Lex went and did this and hasn’t told any of us anything. We’re all just here following her around!_ ” She hadn’t meant to sound so angry, neither did she mean to slip into English – but she was tired, and sick of not knowing anything. She hadn’t complained about the new concept, hadn’t complained about the sudden decrease in her lines, hadn’t complained when she had been told she was stupid by the Korean teacher just because she sometimes couldn’t even understand English, hadn’t complained when the whole trip had been dumped on them. But god, she was _tired,_ and she didn’t know what was going _on._

Gigi had woken up at her outburst, and she realised with sudden and acute embarrassment that all the inhabitants of the car were looking at her – even the driver was staring through the rear-view mirror. “ _Y-You don’t want to be here?”_ Tae asked in halting English, and Sophia’s heart panged at the confused hurt on his face.

Sophia groaned in frustration. “No! _No!_ That’s not-” she could literally feel her brain ticking over as she tried to vocalise her thoughts. Finally she gave up, and blurted Spanish at the confused men and woman looking at her, cheeks red; “ _No, estoy feliz de estar aquí. Extrañé a todos, simplemente no me gusta no saber lo que está pasando. Y lo siento, no quise romper, solo estoy cansado.”_

Gigi half-smiled, and willingly translated as best as she could. “She’s happy to be here, she just hates not knowing what’s happening and she’s sorry for yelling, she’s tired.”

Taehyung’s face relaxed, and without warning he slid over to her, and wrapped her in a tight hug, and ruffled her hair affectionately. “It’s okay! All it is, is that you guys will be staying in our new dorm! There’s plenty of room, and we’re happy to double up to free up room space. Just makes it easier for everyone.”

Sophia nodded, Taehyung’s body-heat relaxing her and making her sleepy again. But when he released her, her eyes fell back on the fast-food. Her stomach growled, and she decided that food would be better than sleep.


	12. 12

Lex and Yoongi were already somehow busy.

Val looked back at the two eldest in the van with a little jealousy. She would give an arm to have something to do. She had been last to the van and as a result was sitting alone in the front, the two eldest in the middle and Birdie in the very back with Jimin and Jungkook. Too far away to talk to...

Val hadn’t felt the nervous flutter in her stomach since high school – yet here she was, 23 years old and feeling butterflies for a man three years younger than her.

She hadn’t needed Lex’s warnings about the stupidity of her actions the day they had left LA – she knew that it was a bad idea the second it crossed her mind, and she hadn’t been able to find a way to bring it up with him, or even really herself. In LA it had been easy to convince herself it was a crush – a mere flirtation, that it was because she was flattered because of the way he acted. But that didn’t explain the way she felt when she saw him, in person, on the phone, in promotional pictures – it didn’t matter. Val tried to relax, unable to stop the tensing of her muscles as she heard his cackling _real_ laugh from behind her.

_What was she doing? She was older than him, and would only bring him down… if anything, he should be grossed out by her._

 

* * *

 

Jungkook may or may not have been laughing deliberately loud since he first noticed the way her eyes would dart to him in the rear-view mirror when he did so.

She looked good. _Really_ good. Especially considering she had just flown non-stop to Korea. But he had also noticed she was avoiding him. It hurt. A bit. He could only assume he’d scared her off, embarrassed her with his crush – that had only developed since LA. She’d hugged him last, briefly and without eye-contact as she muttered a greeting in Korean. It rankled him.

Birdie and Jimin were both looking at him strangely and he realised he’d been quiet for too long, and cast a quick look at the video they were watching to assuage them. Within minutes he was laughing with them again, but he could stop looking up to see if she’d noticed. He felt his smile drop as he realised she had earphones in and had closed her eyes. Jungkook inwardly berated himself.

_It didn’t matter that she wasn’t paying attention, remember? You’re over it. Besides, she has Jin…_

 

* * *

It was nice.

Like really, _really_ nice.

Birdie turned in another circle – fighting the yawn threatening to take-over her open-mouthed awed expression. Their new dorm was less of a dorm than a whole-ass mansion. Everything was white and gleaming, and she remembered quickly (after a look at the spotless floor) to take off her shoes, and toed them off in the entry-way, already a few paces behind everyone else.

Hobi and Jin had taken it upon themselves to lead everyone on an enthusiastic tour of the dorm and its surroundings, but Birdie was starting to feel the effects of her travel, and jet-lag. She realised belatedly she had been left behind, and relaxed slightly, listening with a small smile to the chattering of the other eleven.

“What are you doing?”

The other ten, apparently.

Birdie turned to her left to see Yoongi staring at her from the other side of the massive kitchen island. He was holding a cup of what looked juice, and Birdie felt an odd pang of déjà vu. Birdie shrugged. “You didn’t want to see the house?” he asked, head tilted slightly, as if genuinely confused. Birdie almost started in surprise at his continued questioning. Birdie had kept in contact with the Korean rapper, painstakingly messaging him every single morning with a meme or a friendly message to receive one-word responses or nothing at all, just a read-receipt. Birdie had been frothing with jealousy when she found out that Lex and Yoongi spent hours on the phone or on skype together, a feat in of itself, when she couldn’t get a full sentence out of him.

Birdie realised, as the man raised an eyebrow that she had spent too long thinking and not talking. She managed a bright smile, “I just want a shower and bed.” Yoongi nodded, and put down his drink, and left the room.

Birdie couldn’t help but gape at his abrupt exit – but his head popping back around the corner made her snap her mouth shut with an audible click. “Are you coming or not?” He asked snippily. Birdie nodded jerkily, and hurried, dragging her suitcase with her.

He led her up wide stairs and further into the dorm, and down a corridor, stopping in front of a plain white door. He opened it, and stepped back for her to enter. She noticed immediately that this was someone else’s room. There were a few posters up, and an impressive sound system stretching above the desk taking up one side of the room. She also noticed Sophia’s suitcase already at the foot of the double bed. “You’ll be staying here.” He said, and Birdie frowned as she took in the familiar beanie that had been left on the desk.

“Is this your room?” she asked.

Yoongi shifted. “Yeah.” He said shortly. Birdie blanched and started to shake her head, about to protest vehemently, but he lifted a hand. “It’s fine, I’ll be in with Hope. It’s seriously fine.”

Birdie whined. “But it’s your room. Sophia and I can take the couch or something.” He rolled his eyes impressively, and gave her a light shove further into the room.

“The bathroom’s in there. They got some soaps… shampoos and stuff for you guys.” Yoongi didn’t mention that it had been his idea. Not that he had a problem with the girls using his brand of shampoo or anything, but he felt sure that they’d prefer using products that weren’t geared towards men, and left you smelling like ‘a manly forest of smoky pine and guns,’ or whatever it was.

Birdie smiled brightly, a startling comparison to the little pout she had been wearing. “That’s so thoughtful – thanks!” Yoongi noticed the traces of Daegu inflections in her Korean. It was a reminder of how much time she and Taehyung had spent talking. He wondered if she could speak entirely in dialect. Her eyes darted to the closed door before returning to his face, and he nodded before leaving – trying to ignore the sudden half-image, half-memory of Birdie’s body sleekly wet and shining, against the blue ocean water in LA.

He sighed, a flash of irritation passing over him. He would be dealing with _this_ for four weeks.

It would be a long month.


	13. 13

Gigi managed to escape the tour as they were about to head out to the onsite gym, although escape was maybe too strong a word.

Hoseok had taken one look at her sleepy-eyes and had loudly proclaimed that he would take her to her room. He had slung an arm around her shoulder as he had scooped her out of the pack, and it took effort not to stiffen in his grip – Harry’s parting words echoing in her head.

_“You belong to me. Only me. If I find out you’re slutting around over there, you’ll regret it…”_

Gigi had been feeling guilty to the point of nausea since she’d found out that they would be staying in the boy’s home – and not a hotel, like she’d initially said when she’d pitched the trip to Harry. It was basically cheating, and it would kill him if he knew. It was killing her already. She’d have to call him tonight, and needed privacy to do so.

“ _Are you alright?”_ Hobi’s cheerful English distracted her, and she looked up at him sharply, suddenly worried that somehow he knew. At her startled expression, he softened his enthusiasm. “You just seem… down. Not just tired.” He said in Korean.

Gigi shrugged, suddenly filled with the compulsion to share. There was something about the mood maker that made her trust him – he’d been so kind to her in LA, and she’d found herself really laughing for the first time in a while. And maybe he was the right person to talk to, he wasn’t the girls, who were nowhere near objective enough, and couldn’t possibly understand her relationship – and she doubted that Hobi would ever betray her trust. And he’d help her figure out a way to make it up to Harry. He was a guy, he’d know what Harry would like.

“Um, actually, if you had a moment…” Gigi lost her nerve as he looked down to meet her gaze. “Don’t worry.”

Hobi squeezed her shoulders lightly, “What is it? I’m a good listener.”

Gigi sucked in a breath. “Well, actually, it’s about my boyfriend…” 

 

* * *

 

Hoseok left Gigi to her shower, brow furrowing the second the young woman closed the door.

The talk they had had, was… enlightening.

 _Disturbing_.

Hoseok couldn’t say he was an expert on relationships – the life he led didn’t exactly provide opportunities for experience, but he knew that what Gigi had with her ‘boyfriend’ was unhealthy to say the least. She’d told him about the guilt she was feeling, and had accidentally let some of his threats slip – and from the look on her face, he knew that they probably weren’t even some of the worst. She had described to him, in the most forgiving way possible, a controlling and disturbingly possessive relationship.

Now some of her behaviour made more sense.

The way she shied away from compliments, to the effect of barely receiving any, the way she hid herself, the way she flinched if one of them touched her… even in LA, he’d been able to see that she would even distance herself from the girls, who were her self-confessed family. He wondered if the abuse was limited to insults and possessive behaviour, or if it went deeper than that. Of course, he could only speculate.

No.

That wasn’t the only thing he could do.

She’d sworn him to secrecy – and for all he knew, the incident may have been just that, one particularly violent interaction, and not necessarily a representation of their whole relationship as she had tried to convince him after seeing his incredulous expression. But he could display what a healthy relationship looked like, and provide some sense of how she was _allowed_ to interact with the opposite sex.

Gigi was shy by nature, he knew that – and that was what had made him try so hard with her in LA, not wanting to leave the youngest out, but now he had an understanding of what made her that way – and now he would endeavour to show her that she deserved to be treated better.

Hoseok could say confidently that he knew what sibling-protectiveness felt like. He was a younger sibling, but he was also the elder to the youngest boys in his band, who were family now. He knew that Gigi needed him to be an older brother, and a friend. And he would be.

 

* * *

 

Lex lay awake in the large double bed, staring at the ceiling.

She’d been given her own room, due to her seniority. She was still learning about the cultural differences – though she knew that the boys weren’t too bothered about it, considering the fact that they were foreigners – but she knew that when they started with the media appearances that they would have to know how to behave. She knew for a fact that Birdie needed to change her behaviors – though skin ship was accepted, she knew that all of the girls were quite tactile, and off camera, so were the boys, but she’d have to talk to them about it tomorrow - they couldn't be too free with each other.

For now, if she wasn’t going to sleep, she would have to start working.

Lex sat up, and cast an eye over the clock on the bedside table. It was 3:00am here, but at home it was only 2 in the afternoon. She wasn’t tired.

_A lie._

She got up, and halfheartedly slung an old flannel over her torso, and headed out of her room to the kitchen – where she knew the big marble island would be a good writing space. She tucked her notebook under her arm, and slid her glasses on her face, and with two pens in her mouth – felt her way down through the darkened dorm.

 

* * *

 

Namjoon didn’t know what woke him.

Maybe he was cold.

He frowned at the thought, Jimin’s warm body next to him dispelling the notion.

Then he heard it again, something just on the edge of his hearing. His sleep-addled brain caught up to him a second later as he remembered the five new inhabitants in his home. He sat up, faint worry and curiosity driving him from his bed.

He made his way down the stairs, already noting that the kitchen light was on.

He stuck his head in the room – and startled Lex, whose head popped up abruptly, eyes wide behind a pair of thin framed glasses he’d never seen. She moved first, clearly more alert than him.

With hurried movements, she did up two buttons of the open flannel she was wearing, hiding her pale torso from view, and tried to gather up the mess of papers strewn across the kitchen island. From here he could even see a few that had fallen in the sink. “I’m sorry – I didn’t mean to wake you…” she muttered in English and it took his sleepy mind a couple of seconds.

“Oh – hey don’t let me bother you. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.” He said, stepping forwards to stop her frantic movements. She looked up at him, and he was struck again by how different she looked with her new hair. She reminded him a little bit of the classical description of Snow White – hair black as night, skin white as snow, lips red as blood – but for the fact that her lips were more a soft pink, like Birdie’s new hair.

She looked younger than she was – though Namjoon could say with a little embarrassment, he didn’t actually know how old she was. Did he call her noona?

“ _I trying to get a start on song writing – I get ideas at worse times.”_ She spoke in Korean this time, a little brokenly, but still understandable.

“ _I get that. My brain won’t shut up sometimes. Did you want company?”_ He asked, already settling himself in one of the bar stools under the counter.

Lex drifted over to stand next to him, and nudged a note book and two sheets of music paper over to him. “I’m writing a hook for this song. _Opinion?_ ”

Namjoon scanned his eyes over the page, noting the title. “’Talking Body?’” he tilted his head as he ran his eyes over the lyrics. “ _It’s a sexy song._ ”

Lex nodded slightly, colouring. “It’s basically about a couple who try and solve all their problems by fucking. Who think that the only way to solve things is to have sex.” She was speaking a little wistfully, and Namjoon recalled the interview where they said that their lyrics and music was usually based on experience.

“ _Something you’re familiar with?”_

Lex sighed. “ _A little I guess. My first ever boyfriend was this high-school drop out. I was a_ sophomore _. I thought he was the coolest person… but he was just using me for sex basically._ So I broke up with him, and then I met-” she cut herself off, eyes darting towards the stairwell. Namjoon wanted to ask who she meant – was it the boyfriend ‘ _Fall’_ was about or someone else?

“It’s good. Simple but catchy.”

“Yeah that’s what I was going for. I wanted an easy song, that maybe we can choreograph, and still be able to sing.”

Namjoon raised an eyebrow. “Choreo?” he parroted.

Lex smiled slightly. “There’s no harm in trying it. Yoongi was telling me the other day that it would add a lot more to our performances.”

“You and Yoongi talk a lot, huh.” Namjoon said, turning away to hide the confusing emotions he was certain were in his eyes. He may have a killer poker face – in this industry, you had to – but Lex was far too observant for that.

She didn’t say anything, just lent over him slightly, and asked him about the melody – and before he knew it, the moment passed, and they were just two musicians muddling through their passions.


	14. 14

Birdie woke with the energy of a thousand suns.

At least that’s what it felt like to Sophia, who was desperately trying to cling to the last bits of sleep as Birdie ran around the room impatiently, babbling to herself and _at_ Sophia in a confusing mash of English, Spanish and Korean that was adding to her growing headache.

As Birdie took another half leap over her form to get to the other side of the room, Sophia grabbed a pillow and threw it with deadly accuracy at the younger girl. Birdie yelped, stopping in place as the pillow hit the back of her head. “What?” she demanded, rounding on Sophia.

“Go _away!_ ” Sophia growled. “Go bother someone else. I’m sure somebody is awake.” With a last huff, and a muttered curse in her mother-tongue, she shoved her face back into the pillow, ignoring Birdie’s now pointed grumbles as she left the room.

Sophia lay there for a while longer before she gave up on sleep. She was too awake now. She buried her face in the pillow further and screamed. With one last groan, she let herself roll off the bed, landing in a heap on the floor, before reaching up blindly for her charging phone. It was only 10:00 in Korea, and her jetlagged mind knew that she would be getting ready for bed, but physically, because of her good sleep she felt ready to be upright.

She stood in the shower for five minutes without doing anything, before she mechanically started lathering on the body-wash that Birdie had said was bought for them. It had a strong sweet-floral scent. A look at the image on the label told her it was some concoction of berries and roses. _Jesucristo._

Sometime today they were due to do a ‘V-Live’, whatever that was, before they were thrown head first into the filmed portion of their time here, where they would dance and sing, and maybe even rap with BTS as mentors. Sophia sighed. She couldn’t help but feel a little condescended having men around her age teaching her like she knew nothing – but in some ways, she supposed she didn’t.

She had a little experience with dancing – she’d taken salsa and tango classes to please her mother when she had first moved to America, but when she’d started high-school she’d stopped. She already had a pretty firm idea of who the best would be. Birdie had been a cheerleader for all of high school, a pretty talented gymnast with no trouble staying in time. She supposed she would rank herself second best, and then probably Val – she had a gracefulness about her, and Sophia could easily picture her dancing. Then, probably Gigi, just because the tiny woman was awesome at everything she did. Sophia winced at the thought of Lex’s long thin limbs, and then barked a laugh at the image of Lex flailing around like one of those blow-up wavy men.

She dressed with the upcoming dance lessons in mind, pulling up some dark green yoga pants, with a matching sports bra – her favourite with the cool back details – and then threw a white loose cropped singlet over it, with oversized arm holes. She had to at least try and look good for the cameras. She paused in front of the mirror, turning slightly to check out her ass.

_Yep. Still got it._

With a satisfied smirk, she slapped her own ass, and grabbed a massive black sweater to put over it all, and slipped out of the room.

* * *

 

Jin jumped at the hand that suddenly appeared on his elbow. “ _Yah!”_ He turned, ready to scold one of the maknaes for scaring him, but came face-to-face with a beaming Birdie.

“You’re making breakfast?” She asked in Korean, pronunciation near perfect. Jin smiled back at her.

“I am. I could use some help though.”

The young woman jumped at the chance, and Jin watched fondly, and with a little relief as she got right into the task of chopping the fruits _. Thank god she knew how to use a knife._ She reminded him of his maknaes, and he had enjoyed her unbridled enthusiasm since they met – though he hadn’t really ever spoken or spent time with her one-on-one. It was nice.

She even laughed at his jokes.

Taehyung appeared next, Jungkook predictably still asleep. Jin watched carefully as the two hugged each other good-morning; it was very clear how much the pair adored each other, but even a blind-man could see that it was platonic. Almost immediately, Birdie’s speech got rougher as she and Taehyung slipped slightly into dialect.

“Jin-hyung, what do you want us to do with this?” Taehyung interrupted his musings, looking up from the large pile of berries and other fruits they’d cut up. They blinked at him in unison.

“Put some sugar on it, Tae. Then set it on the table please.”

He did as he directed, but Birdie stayed put, seemingly deep in thought. “Do I call you hyung?” she asked finally.

Jin giggled, shaking his head. “No, I’m oppa to you. Girls call men they know oppa. Hyung is for younger boys.” Birdie made an ‘oh’ sound of acknowledgement, and Jin smiled. “But don’t feel obligated, you're foreign, and we’re not usually too formal anyways.”

Birdie waggled her eyebrows. “Sure, oppa.” Jin couldn’t remember the last time he’d been called oppa but anyone but a fan. “I need to practise for interviews though. Do I call everyone oppa?”

“I’ve been thinking about that actually.” A new voice made them all look up. Lex was tying up her hair as she stepped into the kitchen. “It’s age based, right. I don’t know how old everyone is exactly. Korean age works differently, doesn’t it?”

Jin hummed thoughtfully, and gratefully handed Lex the mugs he was about to carry over, the woman taking them from him automatically. She looked more put together than yesterday, but her eyes were faintly bloodshot, and he had a suspicion that she was one of the ones in the kitchen he heard last night. She was wearing all black, and with her black hair, she looked slightly out of place in the light and open eating space, especially with Birdie, Tae and himself still in pyjamas. Jin’s eyes zeroed in on a slight tremor that passed through Lex’s hand, making the mugs rattle slightly.

“We can talk about it over breakfast. Tae, Birdie, do you want to go get the others up? Everything’s ready.”

Like a couple of overgrown puppies, the two raced each other out of the kitchen, and he heard them pound up the stairs – then a surprised exclamation from Sophia. He shook his head at the faint raised voices.

“Are you alright?” he asked Lex, approaching her at the table. “Did you sleep at all?” The woman looked up at him, mouth falling open in honest surprise.

“ _I-”_ she began in English, before clearing her throat and ducking her head slightly. “I’m fine. I got a few hours.” She followed his gaze down to her slightly twitchy movements – her fingers drumming restlessly on her thigh. She laughed bitterly. “ _Withdrawals._ I don’t know the word in Korean. I stop smoking suddenly.”

Jin nodded in vague understanding. “Have some coffee, and make sure tonight you go to bed early, okay? I’ll make you some special tea after dinner tonight.” Looking after his bandmates after sleepless nights was something of a second nature – and though it was just common decency, something that usually made Yoongi and Namjoon roll their eyes at him – the touched look on Lex’s face surprised him.

From what he had garnered of her character personally, and through Val’s own reports – Lex was fiercely independent, and – he figured – unused to others taking particular interest in her well-being. Not to say that her girls ignored her feelings and physical state, simply that she didn’t allow them to. She was the oldest, and had taken the role of being the leader very seriously, even if she didn’t officially call herself that. Jin knew that through the course of their time here, LaVie were going to be experiencing the labels that applied to traditional group formulas. He could pick most of them already – but the dancing this afternoon would be the real test of their abilities.

Jin dismissed her thanks with a wave of his hand as the others began filing in. Yoongi went straight for the seat next to Lex and plopped his head down heavily, and the moment was broken as Lex laughed quietly, and placed a hand on his hoodie-covered neck.


	15. 15

Val and Namjoon were chatting as they began bringing over the multitude of dishes he had made. Jin had gotten up early to make their first breakfast together. There was something comfortable about the scene before him; Lex and Yoongi already talking seriously about work, Taehyung force-feeding Birdie strawberries as Sophia cackled with glee. Gigi was still in her pj’s as well, sitting quietly between Hobi and Jimin, but as Jin watched, Hobi’s bright laughter brought a smile to her face as well. Jungkook’s eyes were fixed on the kitchen, following Val’s movements, as he half-heartedly conversed with Jimin.

Val’s arms suddenly around his neck made Jin jump slightly in her loose hold, but he grinned as she pressed a quick kiss to his temple. “Thank you for this amazing breakfast, darling!”

“Wow, _mom and dad goals._ ” Birdie chirped in English.

Sophia side-eyed her. “ _Who’s who?”_

 _“Val is obviously dad.”_ Birdie replied quickly. Lex cleared her throat pointedly, and Birdie grimaced, busying herself with the orange juice. Val took a seat next to Jungkook, who was currently staring at Jin. Jin sighed inwardly, Clearly there needed to be another talk.

Namjoon sat down on his other side, leaving him and Lex at opposite ends of the large table. It was a weird mix of fruits, traditional dishes and-

“PANCAKES!” Birdie’s loud cry was quickly echoed by Hobi and Tae, and Lex sent him a small smile of acknowledgement.

* * *

 

Lex clapped her hands together, the thought just hitting her. “Ah! Hang on – we need to talk about interview conduct. Who’s oppa?” Hobi started laughing at her odd question, setting off Jimin. Lex rolled her eyes exasperatedly. “I know Jin is oldest, what about everyone else?”

“I’m second oldest.” Yoongi volunteered. “Then Hobi and Namjoon in ‘94, and the others don’t worry about.” Taehyung made an indignant sound.

Lex shifted, looking uncomfortable. “I’m November 24, 1993.” Namjoon choked on his orange juice. “So I’m… noona?”

Jin nodded, “Noona to us, but to the girls, you’re unnie.”

Yoongi smiled slightly, “You can just call me normally, we’re both ‘93 liners.” Lex blinked rapidly. “Born in 1993. Jin is a ’92 liner, Jimin and Tae are ’95 liners, and Jungkook is ’97.” Lex nodded thoughtfully.

“Lex-noona.” Jungkook tried out, and beside him, Val made a face.

“Lex-unnie.” She parroted as well. “ _Ew, as if._ ”

Lex waggled her eyebrows, looking suddenly years younger. “Respect your elders, Valerie-ah.” She nodded again, and cast her eyes quickly around the table. “So. _Technically speaking, I’m_ noona _and_ unnie _to everyone here but Jin and Yoongi. Val is_ noona _or_ unnie _to Jimin, Tae, Birdie, Jungkook and Gigi, and Sophia, Birdie and Gigi are babies.”_ She summarized. There was agreement, and then the table started to be cleared.

* * *

 

It didn’t take long for them to start getting ready for their V Live which was going to take place at their company. They had to ride in separate cars to the company in order to film, because they didn’t want rumours spreading. Val thought it was stupid – if they didn’t want rumours they shouldn’t have let them stay together in the first place. In fact, she wondered who exactly had allowed it.

She swiped on mascara, unsure if makeup was required or not – but she didn’t need to worry either way. Her new ‘concept’ was natural anyway. A knock on her and Gigi’s bedroom door made her jump, accidentally smearing the mascara wand on her cheek slightly. “Come in!” she called, wiping at it absently, as the door opened.

It was Gigi.

Val gave up in order to wave her over in faint exasperation. “Baby, you don’t have to knock – it’s our room.”

“Yeah but what if you were… naked?” Gigi asked, colouring cutely.

Val rolled her eyes. “Everyone’s seen me naked. I walk around naked at home with Lex.”

“Yeah but that’s because it’s you and Lex.” Gigi said, as if that meant something. Val ignored her in favour of picking out Gigi some sport leggings to wear as the girl started brushing her teeth. “Um. I was talking to Hobi the other day, and tonight I think I need to have some time to call Harry. If that’s okay?” She said from the bathroom. Val nodded absently, frowning slightly. _What did Hoseok have to do with that?_ There was no point in asking. Gigi was a closed book at the best of times, she’d always been. It had taken her two years to finally tell them that she was allergic to peppers, and that was why she avoided Taco Tuesday. She had been dating Harry for a year before they had even heard about him.

“Of course. Just make sure you use the company phone so you’re not charged a million dollars for international calls.” Val shuddered at the thought of her phone bills she’d been getting before she switched plans. She cast a quick look at the time and blanched. “Yah! Lex is gonna have my head! Come on, we’re late. Get changed and come downstairs.”

* * *

 

“ _Hello everyone – or should I say annyeong… We are here in Korea!”_ Birdie beamed at the camera fixed to the corner of the van above her. From beside her, Gigi waved shyly. “ _Where are we going today? In Korean please…”_ Birdie asked the slightly younger girl.

“ _Umm…_ today we heading for studio?” she tried hesitantly.

Birdie smiled, and patted Gigi’s head. “Yeah! Today we’re heading for the Bangtan Boy’s company studios. We’re gonna be giving some singing and dancing a go whilst Lex gets to work on some song writing.”

Hearing her name, Lex peeked her head into frame from behind them. “What?”

“Sorry, sorry… I meant Lex-unnie…” Birdie gave her a shit eating grin. “I was just saying you’ll be doing some writing. _Song writing._ ” She clarified.

Lex nodded in understanding, “ _Yeah. Should be alright._ ”

“Korean only!” Birdie sang merrily.

Lex growled under her breath and slumped back in her seat as Birdie attempted to engage Gigi in a halting conversation, Sophia adding her voice every now and again. Lex sighed, and looked over at Val, who had been silent beside her. Her eyes fell on a black smudge on the red-head’s cheek, and smiled slightly, already reaching up to wipe it off.

“ _What?”_ Val asked, looking at her with startled eyes. Her freckles made her look so much younger. Lex couldn’t remember a time when Val had worn her freckles like that, like she was proud of them. It had taken one stupid comment from a high-school idiot to make Val insecure about them, and pretty much, ever since, she’d covered them up.

“ _You’re beautiful.”_ Lex said absently.

As expected, Val coloured, cheeks flushing prettily. Lex still had the same effect on her after all these years. “ _Shut up. You’re gross._ ” Val dismissed, turning away from the blue-eyed woman.

“ _And you have mascara on your face.”_ Lex reached for her properly this time, holding her face with one hand, and licked her other thumb before wiping off the makeup. Val stiffened slightly in her grip, one of her hands reaching out to curl into Lex’s sweater, and the other tightening on her own thigh.

“ _Here we have Mom and Dad in their natural habitat.”_ The pair of them turned to face the front, to see Birdie waving a smaller camera in their faces. “How long have you guys been married?”

“Longer than you have been alive. Show your parents some respect!” Val responded immediately, hand whipping out to lightly smack Birdie upside the head. Lex snickered at the offended look on Birdie’s face as Val sunk back into her seat, and Birdie turned back around with a huff.

“‘ _Show some respect?’”_ Lex asked, still smirking. Val shrugged.

“ _She’s disrespectful.”_

“ _I heard that!”_


	16. 16

Jimin shifted slightly as they filed in, the three youngest blinking and looking like they’d never seen the inside of a dance studio before. Of course, Lex looked composed, whilst Val was already stepping forwards and smiling. There had been cameras since before he and the other guys had gotten there, but he was still pleasantly surprised to see the girls bowing to them and greeting them. They would be filming a V-Live first, and there was already some tables set up with various foods and items they would be using. There was also chairs set up for them, ready to go.

Jimin greeted them all quickly, smiling as Lex ruffled his hair slightly.

He’d had a desire to get closer to the two oldest women, and though he didn’t really understand it – he figured that it had something to do with the fact that he had barely seen his female relatives, his mother, his aunties, and he’d never had a sister before. And besides, they both had that same caring aura about them that drew him to his hyungs. Jimin could admit it freely, he loved being taken care of, needed praise and validation, and cuddling and tactile contact.

Jimin moved to sit in-between Jungkook and Jin, but a sharp call from the PD made him freeze in place. Birdie and Val were also turned towards the man, who was holding a piece of paper. Jimin caught the tail-end of ‘seating arrangements,’ and automatically, Namjoon and Lex stepped forwards.

The pair scanned over the writing for a second, Namjoon muttering something to her, as she squinted at it. Finally they nodded, and turned back to them. “Okay so apparently we have seating plans.”

“Just like _middle school_!” Birdie chirped through a mouthful of _something_ , and bounded over to the main group from the food table, Taehyung following her, both of them clutching their hands behind their backs, cheeks looking suspiciously full. The chairs were set up with seven in the front and five in the back, elevated.

“Yeah.” Lex muttered. “Um, okay.” She gestured for Namjoon to take the lead, and moved over to stand next to Jimin. “It’s you and I, Jiminnie.” She said softly.

* * *

 

In the back row from left to right, it ran Sophia, Tae, Yoongi, Birdie and then Jin. In the front, Jimin, Lex, Namjoon, Gigi, Hobi, Val and then Jungkook. Gigi wasn’t sure why they had a set seating plan, but she couldn’t help but smile as Hobi went through the motions as J-Hope, smiling and beaming and he even got her to get up and do a silly dance with him to win the honour of picking the first challenge.

She was having fun.

* * *

 

“ _As our lord and saviour, DJ Khaled says; Another one_!” Birdie squealed in English, pressing another marshmallow into Yoongi’s already full mouth. He gagged slightly, and she recoiled, laughing hysterically. “Don’t give up, oppa! We have to _win!”_ he jolted again, but she paid him no mind, racing with Tae to the last bowl of marshmallows from the food table.

This game had descended into chaos the second it started. Divided into groups of three by picking cards – her, Yoongi and Namjoon’s team had picked the marshmallow challenge against Tae’s team; which consisted of him, Jimin and Lex. They were winning, because Tae’s team had made the foolish decision to use Lex as their marshmallow eater, and Birdie knew for a fact that Yoongi had a bigger mouth. The other two teams were cheering them on, and Birdie played up her competiveness both for the camera and because the loud yelling was getting her pumped up. With a victory screech, she ran back to Yoongi and Namjoon, clutching the marshmallows.

“Save me, oppa!” she yelled, and Namjoon stepped forwards gallantly to shield her and the bowl of marshmallows from Tae’s reaching arms. But what she didn’t account for were the factors of Jimin being a wily little snake who stole a handful of marshmallows, and that Lex apparently had no gag reflex, and, that Yoongi did.

As Yoongi suddenly gagged and coughed again, spraying half-dissolved marshmallow everywhere, Taehyung pushed the winning marshmallow into Lex’s overcrowded mouth. The end came soon after that, Yoongi spitting his sweet gooey mouthful into one of the empty bowls and collapsing. Lex just stood there smugly, trying to laugh through her own sticky mouth as Jimin and Taehyung danced joyfully in front of her. Lex gave up on her smug speech, and hooked her arms around the two younger boys’ necks, and dancing around with them.

Birdie groaned dramatically, and turned to Yoongi’s sprawled form. “I swear, oppa, I always lose when I play games with you.”

“He’s cursed.” Namjoon added sagely, patting her shoulder and not looking the least bit put out that they had lost. “Hyung never wins anything.” He winked at her.

“He even cheats, and still loses.” Hobi added loudly from where he was standing with his arms looped with Gigi and Sophia, all of them smiling broadly, even Gigi – who Birdie hadn’t seen smile properly for weeks.

Being here was good for her, Birdie thought – Gigi seemed happier, and she had colour in her cheeks, and a sparkle in her eye that she hadn’t seen in a long time. Birdie knew she sounded like a terrible young adult fiction writer – but honestly, seeing Gigi blinking her bright green eyes at everything with a barely restrained joy, that Birdie hadn’t seen in a long time, made her heart flutter. Hearing the quiet girl laugh to the point of tears at the antics of the people around her was something Birdie had never seen from Gigi before – but there she was, wiping tears away as she howled with laughter.

* * *

 

Of course the simple games couldn’t last and before long – after Lex’s team won overall – they were left almost completely alone, excepting two cameras rolling freely, everything cleared from the studio. Now it was time for the real challenge.

Val couldn’t stop her face from wrinkling up in disgust as Hobi ran through a series of stretches rapidly, motioning them to copy him. Val wasn’t a very flexible person, she could only just touch her toes if the moons and stars were aligned, and today didn’t seem like it was her day. She sighed from her position furthest from the front, as Birdie sank easily into the splits next to Jimin, Sophia following her about half-way down. Even Lex, with her mile-long limbs, was able to touch her toes, folding almost in half on the floor.

She was startled as someone popped into her line of vision. Jungkook brushed his fringe back quickly, and shot her a small smile. “Here, noona.” She blinked rapidly as he sat up against her feet, and reached for her hands, interlocking their fingers and then pulling her upper body forwards.

The sharp stretch ache reached her a second later, and she yelped; “Ow! Kookie!” Jungkook just laughed, and eased up slightly, pulling a little more gently to stretch her forwards. “Aren’t you supposed to be nice to me?” She asked snippily, very aware of her palms starting to sweat as her face came even closer to his.

“Of course, noona.” Jungkook had the audacity to wink at her – and she gaped at him, before breaking into laughter at his subsequent blush. Jungkook had his back to the camera, his torso blocking her face from view, so she felt safe enough to take the time to ask the question that had been on her mind for a while now.

“Hey, um, you don’t have to answer…” she sighed as he blinked up at her, wide eyes reminding her of his age. “But was that your first kiss… you know, back in LA?”

Jungkook swallowed visibly, and opened his mouth to answer – but then, Hobi’s loud screech for attention made them jerk apart, Val slumping backwards as Jungkook’s grip left her. A hand found hers and she let whoever it was pull her up. She came face-to-face with Jin, who was raising an eyebrow. “What did you ask him?” he murmured in her ear, in the pretence of checking her ponytail. She cast a look around for Jungkook and found him across the other side of the studio, pointedly not looking at them, ears red. She sighed. _She had fucked that up._

“Nothing. Nothing at all.”

* * *

Wrong, wrong, wrong – so hilariously wrong.

Sophia could almost laugh aloud at how off her assumptions were.

Of course, Birdie wasn’t struggling – the naturally athletic girl had a history of cheerleading and group routine behind her, she had expected Birdie to be good at dancing. But as for Val and Gigi…

She had been pleasantly surprised by the skill that Lex had been showing already, as they worked through a basic choreography to a little boppy tune by a kpop girl group she’d never heard of. Whilst the woman was lanky and didn’t strike _anyone_ as the dancing type – Sophia had forgotten about the woman’s hidden muscle tone that allowed her to control her long limbs with a refinement that she had expected from the more compact and graceful Val.

Val was a walking disaster.

Five minutes in and she’d already hit Taehyung in the face as she flailed unexpectedly. She’d almost rolled her ankle twice, trying to turn quickly – and was looking furious, face almost as red as her hair. Jin had attempted to console her, but the woman had just snapped at him, and since then – had been given a wide berth by everyone in the room.

Gigi was another story; though almost as uncoordinated as Val, Hobi had gotten her to laugh about it, rather than sulk, and as a result – the youngest was hip popping along with the rest them, maybe not as on beat, or with the same sharpness, but still doing it with them.

Sophia thought she was doing alright. Jungkook had been working with her mostly, and though her movements weren’t as smooth as his – due to his lifetime of training – she figured that by his proud smile, she was doing well.

But of course;

“Birdie, you’ll be centre.” Hobi said decisively, and Birdie trilled excitedly, “Sophia, part b, Lex, c, Gigi, d. And Val…”

They all looked at the red head from where she was drinking deeply from her water bottle. She raised an eyebrow at them, and lowered her drink. “The smallest part is probably best.” She said, and finally cracked a smile. The relief was palpable, and soon enough, the atmosphere was back to the barely constrained rowdiness of the V Live.

* * *

 

Lex was whisked off after the dance session by Yoongi and Namjoon, the trio discussing their plans before they had even left the studio. The audio would have to be cut short in case of spoilers.

Sophia clapped her hands together. “So now that dads are away, what shall we do?”

“ _Mom_?” Birdie asked in English, and Val looked to her, long used to being called ‘mom’ by Birdie and Sophia, and even occasionally, Gigi would slip up and do the same. “What are we doing?”

Val looked to Jin, who just shrugged. “I don’t think we have anything else really set for today. I think there’ll be cameras with us no matter what we do, but I doubt there’s anything planned, and those three will be hours.” The broad man said, running his hands through his hair. “What does everyone want to do?”

“I want to dance more, oppa.” Birdie said, linking arms with Hobi, who looked at her with something like proud fondness in his eyes.

“Jiminie and I will stay back with you.” Jimin nodded in agreement, and stripped down a layer, tossing his sweatshirt to the corner of the room.

“Well I think if I dance a second longer I’ll put my head through a wall, so I want to go get lunch.” Val said decisively. “What are you doing, Soph, G?”

“Um… _can I stay with_ Hobi _-_ oppa?” Gigi asked with a nervous glance towards the still rolling cameras. Val nodded easily.

“I know a good place to get japchae.” Jin stooped to pick up his jacket from the corner. “Anyone else coming with?” Jungkook put his hand up to go with them, making Val’s stomach flutter. Taehyung and Sophia said they would stay but probably go out a little later to eat somewhere.

“Make sure you keep in contact, you two.” Val said sternly, taking Sophia’s phone and switching the ringer to full volume. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the pair, but…

They were young, and Val would have been stupid to not see the tension between them. Not that anything would happen – they had to take a camera with them wherever they went. Jin had already grabbed their travel size camera, and was waiting for her by the door, Jungkook hovering by his side.

* * *

 

Taehyung ‘forgot’ to take their camera with them, so Sophia felt nervous butterflies erupt in her stomach when he smiled at her with the same bright intensity she had thought was reserved for his onscreen personality. They had wandered out of the studio not long after Jin, Jungkook and Valerie had left, and after deciding they weren’t really hungry, had ended up pausing in front of a small convenience store, slipping on matching frog face masks, and sucking on some orange candy.

“What shall we do?” Taehyung asked, and Sophia shrugged, settling her cap further down on her face. She couldn’t see anything but his eyes

“Take me somewhere, Tae.” She challenged, raising an eyebrow, and making the slightly older man respond with a smirk she could see as his eyes crinkled. He thought for a minute, humming in that low calming way of his as he turned in a tight circle, face turned to the sky.

“Ah!” He grabbed her hand, making her gasp in surprise. “I know. Follow me.” Then they were half-running, trying to catch a train that would be leaving to god-knew where. And he didn’t let go of her hand.


	17. 17

They ended up at a little park overlooking the edge of a warehouse district. It was windy, and the park was overgrown, weeds creeping over the rusted playground equipment. Taehyung ran his hand over a faded sign, and pushed the low gate open.

“I found this place when I was scouting for photography locations. I don’t think anyone knows about it.” He pulled off his cap and face mask, and reached into his satchel and pulled out a camera. “I like it. Feels like memory.”

Sophia turned as he raised his camera, and tried to see what he meant. The more she looked at the bleak grey sky, the blocky storage containers behind the faded colours of the children’s park, tiny flowers still struggling to grow in the ground, the more she could. It was almost like she could feel what it had been, trapped in the colourful equipment, the half-empty sandpit.

She took off her face-mask and hat as well, and turned her face into the wind, perching herself on the low wall that surrounded the park. It was only after the tell-tale click of a camera shutter did she realise that Taehyung had pointed his camera at her.

“Tae!” she yelped, smiling despite herself. “No! I look terrible.”

Taehyung laughed, low and rich like dark chocolate. “Impossible.” He turned back, and crouched among the long grass growing up out of one of the flower beds, and shot through it to the warehouses and containers beyond them. Sophia sighed, and moved towards him. “Besides, I only take pictures of beautiful things.”

Sophia stiffened. “You shouldn’t say things like that.”

“Why?” Taehyung stood, and she realised again, just how tall he was to her – he was all she could see, bright eyes that were so much wiser than they seemed staring at her, like they could see inside of her. “Why?” he repeated, stepping closer again.

She shivered, but not because of the wind. “Because. I don’t know-”

“I think you do.” He smiled suddenly, and reached out, and touched her face. “I like it when you blush like that.” Sophia didn’t even realise she had been, and resisted the urge to turn away. “ _He estado pensando en ti.” I’ve been thinking about you._

Sophia didn’t know what she was feeling. Of course, she knew that Taehyung was her _type_. And god – look at him, all earnest and open and _unafraid_. And so beautiful.

She shouldn’t have let herself talk to him the way she had been, she shouldn’t have spent hours talking to him, watching him, _thinking about him_.

“Taehyung. We can’t _do_ whatever it is-” she stuttered over the words, not even sure what she was trying to say. “If it – I mean – _if…_ Tae, just think about what could happen?”

“I have been.”

He was so damn irrepressible. And he took another step closer. “ _No sabes lo que podría hacerte_.” _You don’t know what I could do to you._ Sophia tried, unable to find the words in Korean or English, “ _No quiero arriesgar tu carrera.” I don't want to risk your career._ Taehyung just blinked at her, patient, but unmoving. “ _Pero quiero besarte…” But I want to kiss you…_

“ _Así que bésame_.” _So kiss me._

Sophia didn’t know how much of what she had said he understood, but… they were alone. And there would be time to talk later, and right now – she threw caution to the wind, and leant in.

He met her half-way, hands coming to grasp at her shoulders, then winding around her, as if ensuring she would stay there. He tasted like oranges, sweet and bright against her. She felt like a woman possessed as she pressed her lips firmly against his, letting him open her mouth and kiss her deeper. Her hands tangled themselves in his hair, and she sighed against him as they parted for a second. “What are we doing?” she asked breathlessly, knowing full-well she sounded like every soap opera ever.

His face was so close to hers, and he kissed her quickly, “what feels right.” He muttered, before going back to her lips as if she was the best thing he had ever tasted.

Then the sharp trill of her ringtone split the ait between them. They parted, Sophia fumbling for her phone. The wind was doubly cold away from him, and she answered hurriedly. “Yeah?”

“ _He- are you alright? You been running?”_ Gigi asked confusedly. Sophia glanced up at Taehyung, who was standing in front of her, head cocked. His lips were red and swollen. She bit her own, and tried to concentrate.

“What?”

“ _You’re panting.”_

“Well… so are you!” Sophia retorted panicked, and Gigi just laughed.

“ _Yeah, but I’ve been dancing. What were you doing?”_

“Doesn’t matter. What do you want?” Sophia tried to revert the conversation back on track. Taehyung was smiling slightly, and moving towards her. She shot him a warning look.

“ _Um… okaaayyy… anyway. Just wanted to know where you guys were. Tae forgot the camera.”_

Sophia tried not to react as Taehyung wound his arms around her, pulling her into his chest, and resting his head on top of hers, squashing her against his chest and shielding her from the wind. “Um. Uh, yes, sorry. We’ll be back soon. Um. Bye.” Sophia swore as she hung up, shoving the phone in her pocket with some difficulty, as Tae squeezed her tighter. “Stop it, you _rata_!” she huffed at him, as he started laughing. She peered up at him, her cheek flat against his chest, scowling furiously. “Not funny.”

“A little funny.” He said warmly, and leant down the kiss her again, chastely. She tried not to make a sound.

“We have to go.”

“I know.” He made no move to let her go, instead, just shifting her in his grip so he had better access to her mouth, and kissing her words away.

 

* * *

 

Lex stood, stretching up towards the ceiling, trying to get rid of the stiffness in her back and neck. She took a brief look at the camera mounted above the main computer screen in the studio room. She didn’t know how much footage would make its way into the final product, considering that since they’d been there, her, Yoongi and Namjoon hadn’t done much but putter over lyrics and chords and mutter to themselves and each other.

“You tired?” Namjoon asked her, following the arc of her torso with a quick glance. Lex groaned as she twisted and cracked her back.

“Nah, I’m alright – unless you guys are ready to go?”

Yoongi cast them a cursory glance, headphones firmly affixed over his ears. He pushed one side off as he realised they were both looking at him. “What?”

“You wanna head, Yoon?” Lex asked him. Yoongi looked between the door, and between the computer screen in front of him, looking torn. Lex grinned, and patted his shoulder. “Why don’t we bring you back something to eat, huh?” she looked at Namjoon for approval, and the tall man just nodded easily.

“Thanks. I’ll see you.” The rapper turned back to the computer.

“We’ll see you a bit later, hyung.” Namjoon said, and picked up his jacket, Lex following his lead. Yoongi had already put his headphones back on by the time they were heading out the door.

It was substantially colder, and darker out of the little studio. Lex shivered slightly, hurriedly zipping up her jacket before the chill really got her. She looked up suspiciously at the dark lights above them. Namjoon laughed. “It’s nearly 11. Everyone’s gone home for the night.” Lex startled.

“It’s been seven hours?” she yelped. “Oh god – I should call – they must be so worr-”

“Hey!” Namjoon chuckled, catching her frantic hands as she started patting herself down for her phone. “It’s okay! Jin’s used to us being out late, he’s got everything covered. I promise you.”

Lex eyed him, and as if burned, he suddenly dropped her hands, turning away from her slightly. Lex kept her eyes on his form curiously, fishing out her phone anyway. Surprisingly, there were no missed calls, and only two texts. One from Val, telling her that she was borrowing her toothpaste, and one from Birdie, filled with emojis – telling Lex how proud she was of her work ethic, and telling her to; “Fighting?” Lex read quietly aloud, cocking her head at the phone.

“ _Hwaiting.”_ Namjoon said, and smiled. “It’s like an encouragement.” Lex nodded in understanding, and pocketed her phone, pursing her lips.

“Where exactly are we going to get food this late?”

Namjoon hummed thoughtfully, and she could practically see his thoughts ticking over. Suddenly he perked up, dimples flashing and eyes lighting up. She felt her own lips quirk in response. “I know a place.”


End file.
